Inquiry Into Counterfeit Electronic Parts in the Department of Defense Supply Chain

In March of 2011, the Senate Armed Services Committee initiated an investigation intocounterfeit electronic parts in the Department of Defense (DOD) supply chain. The investigationuncovered overwhelming evidence of large numbers of counterfeit parts making their way intocritical defense systems. It revealed failures by defense contractors and DOD to reportcounterfeit parts and gaps in DO D's knowledge of the scope and impact of such parts on defensesystems. The investigation exposed a defense supply chain that relies on hundreds of unvettedindependent distributors to supply electronic parts for some of our most sensitive defense systems. And, it found overwhelming evidence that companies in China are the primary source of counterfeit electronic parts in the defense supply chain.