ARLINGTON, VA -- The US Air Force has suspended Hong Dark Electronic Trade Company and its subsidiaries from government programs after finding them responsible for selling tens of thousands of fake parts to key defense contractors.

In a suspension memo, the USAF indicated there is adequate evidence that Hong Dark, an electronics recycling and supply company in Shenzhen, has supplied suspect counterfeit electronic parts to Global IC, which then supplied them to government contractors and subcontractors to the US Department of Defense,including L-3 Communications, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon, among others.

Approximately 84,000 suspect counterfeit electronic parts purchased from Hong Dark entered the DoD supply chain, and many of these parts have been installed on DoD aircraft, including C-17, C-130J, C-27J, P-8A Poseidon, AH-64, SH-60B, and CH-46.

According to the memo, Global IC discovered the suspect counterfeit nature of Hong Dark's electronic parts as early as 2009 but failed to disclose such information promptly to government contractors and subcontractors, which, in tum, impacted DoD's ability to take swift action to protect itself. Independent testing of the parts uncovered evidence that they were remarked to conceal identifying information, such as their date of manufacture, and to present them as newly manufactured.

Criminal investigations into this matter are ongoing in several locations within the US.

Among the companies covered by the order are Hong Dark Electronic Trade, Hong Dark Electronic Co., Hong Dark Electronics Co., Shenzhen Hongdark Electronics Co., Hongdark Electronic, Hongdark Technology Co., HongXing Da Technology Co., and Global IC Trading Group.

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