Editor's Perspective
At press time, President-elect Obama was assembling his team to lead the U.S. DoD.
Senator Obama, the presidential candidate, stated that he opposed “unworkable” missile defenses but that he thinks missile defenses are needed to counter Iranian and North Korean missiles. The president elect may be well advised that our community and many nations await his policy direction and funding decisions on a number of challenges. Indeed, in late October, Defense Secretary Gates served notice that the then yet-to-be-elected president will “take a fresh look” at plans for a missile defense system in Eastern Europe.
MSMF’s 2009 editorial program will examine the new administration’s space and missile programs’ policy roadmap as it evolves.
Shifting course, during two recent association meetings several conference attendees told me about their concern regarding counterfeit computer components in DoD space and missile systems. The implications of counterfeit components are huge—from weapons platform and weapons system failures, to the less subtle possibility of foreign sabotage. Joe Davidson, spokesman, Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), told MSMF that his command “experienced one occurrence of a counterfeit microcircuit” during the last 24 months. One company spokesperson told MSMF “there are problems” with counterfeit components.
The government-industry team is responding to this challenge through different strategies. For its part, SMC “has instituted corporate policies and procedures that are being flowed down to their prime contractors and subcontractors that require these companies to institute counterfeit prevention, protection and detection policies and procedures. Any suspected counterfeit items are to be reported to the appropriate contracting officer for direction,” said Davidson. Another response is the Aerospace Industries Association’s Counterfeit Part Integrated Project Team. These are great efforts, but more work is needed to solve this problem.
Marty Kauchak, Editor
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