NSWC Crane helps to prevent counterfeit parts

CRANE -- Many people living in Greene County might recognize the economic benefit of Naval Support Activity (NSA) Crane being located in this part of the state, but the Department of Defense (DoD) also heavily relies on it as well, especially in terms of the base providing a large network of suppliers for parts used in communication and weapon systems.

According to a statistic provided by Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane), in Fiscal Year 2014, the DoD spent $96 billion for 4.7 million parts.

One of the big issues the DoD faces is the parts used in communication and weapon systems are at risk of being counterfeited.

The Public Affairs Office of NSWC Crane said counterfeiting can affect the systems, delay missions and endanger lives.

"NSWC Crane helps the nation avoid these dangers by developing and maintaining systems to detect and avoid counterfeit parts in the DoD's supply chain," stated the release.

NSWC Crane also pointed out counterfeit parts have been covertly modified to appear to be new, reliable parts. If used, these parts may be highly susceptible to premature failure.

One of the biggest causes for counterfeiting NSWC Crane pointed out is profit.

In 2015, a Senate Armed Services Committee included a provision for the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the DoD's efforts and address the issue of counterfeit parts.

This was done after Congress raised questions about the DoD's ability to report on counterfeit or suspect counterfeit parts.

In the assessment, The GAO praised NSWC Crane as a facility which is leading the way to mitigate these risks. The report stated by NSWC provided testing and helped to prevent counterfeit parts from entering Navy and Missile Defense Agency systems since 2009. NSWC Crane has investigated more than 3,000 parts.

"We're microelectronics experts who are heavily engaged in the counterfeit parts issue and we play a vital role in helping the nation overcome this threat," said Global Deterrence and Defense Department Director Ben Harkness.

Harkness added personnel perform more than 24 types of electrical and physical tests to authenticate and analyze parts.

NSWC Crane said it works with DoD organizations, the intelligence community and suppliers in analyzing newly discovered forms of counterfeiting.

"The collective capability at NSWC Crane is unique in the DoD and fulfills a crucial role in ensuring our customers' systems are reliable," explained NSWC Crane Chief Strategist for Strategic Missions Brad Secrest.

NSWC Crane said it also has helped perform audits and assessments of more than 60 independent distributors and defense contractors.

NSWC Crane Chief Engineer for Trusted Microelectronics Brett Hamilton explained that personnel are also assessing the extent to which counterfeit electronic parts cause failures in deployed systems.

"Unreliable microelectronics put our warfighters and their missions at risk, so it's absolutely critical we understand the impact on system readiness if they are not detected beforehand," said Hamilton.

More about NSWC Crane

NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today's warfighter.