Senate Armed Services Committee Announces Investigation Into Counterfeit Electronic Parts in DoD Supply Chain

Seems that counterfeit electronic parts have gotten so bad that now even the politicians are getting involved. I've personally experienced this, having gotten some tantalum capacitors that were marked with higher voltages than their true working voltage. They'd last about six months in the field then *exploded*. With the problems in Japan right now, I expect there will be massive increase in counterfeiting of parts that should be coming from the legitimate Japan supply chain:

WASHINGTON – Following is a statement by Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, regarding the committee’s investigation into counterfeit parts in the DoD supply chain:

"U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has initiated an investigation into counterfeit electronic parts in the Department of Defense's supply chain. Counterfeit electronic parts pose a risk to our national security, the reliability of our weapons systems and the safety of our military men and women. The proliferation of counterfeit goods also damages our economy and costs American jobs. The presence of counterfeit electronic parts in the Defense Department’s supply chain is a growing problem that government and industry share a common interest in solving. Over the course of our investigation, the Committee looks forward to the cooperation of the Department of Defense and the defense industry to help us determine the source and extent of this problem and identify possible remedies for it."