WASHINGTON – A report released this week outlined more than 1,800 cases of suspected counterfeits coming into the U.S. Defense Department supply system, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) noted this week. 

The investigation was conducted by the Senate Armed Services Committee, of which Levin is the chairman. 

The counterfeits included more than 1 million parts, many of them used in some of the most important military equipment, and most of the parts can be traced back to China. 

In one case a single electronic parts supplier,  Hong Dark Electronic Trade of Shenzhen, China, supplied approximately 84,000 suspect counterfeit electronic parts into the Pentagon supply chain.

In one example described in the report, the U.S. Air Force says that a single electronic parts supplier, Parts from Hong Dark made it into systems intended for the C-5 and C-12 aircraft and the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle. In addition, parts from Hong Dark made it into assemblies intended for the P-3 aircraft, the Special Operations Force A/MH-6M helicopter, and other military equipment, like the Excalibur (an extended range artillery projectile), the Navy Integrated Submarine Imaging System, and the Army Stryker Mobile Gun.

Levin said that the National Defense Authorization Act passed last year includes provisions to strengthen screening and reporting requirements for identifying bogus parts; the Levin co-authored bill was highly controversial for provisions allowing the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens without trial, however. 

It requires contractors, not taxpayers, to pay the bill for replacing counterfeit parts when they’re discovered. And it requires the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security to improve detection of imported counterfeits.

“Though our report is complete, I will keep monitoring the performance of our contractors and the military, and keep the pressure on China to act against the counterfeit parts makers operating openly there,” Levin said in a statement.