The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has begun an in-house effort to block counterfeit microcircuits from entering the supply chain.
DLA had previously outsourced its anti-counterfeiting measures. The agency will now perform quality control, called DNA marking, at its Electronics Product Test Center in Columbus, Ohio. The program applies to all microcircuits purchased by DLA in Federal Supply Class (FSC) 5962. The agency will mark those circuits with a substance derived from plant DNA, which will provide detailed information such as the identity of the supplier, the cage code, and lot number. The DNA mark is as unique as a fingerprint, and can be detected with a handheld scanner. DLA estimates that 85,000 microcircuits will be marked per year.
The mark will enable forensic tracing. “This traceability benefit is crucial during quality and fraud investigations,” DLA said. “Prior to this, during these investigations, it was often difficult to obtain supplier information once the microcircuit was taken out of its packaging and installed on a weapon system or placed into bins at military repair facilities.”
The DNA marking is not new, but in the past, DLA relied on contractors to do it. Beginning December 2014, DLA began doing the work itself. The outsourcing “was effective in deterring counterfeiters, but added more time to the delivery of microcircuits to customers and additional costs to DLA,” the agency said.
“By establishing an organic or in-house DNA marking capability, DLA will improve delivery time and reduce costs, strengthen supply chain controls, enhance quality assurance and establish the capability to expand DNA marking to other parts deemed a high risk of counterfeiting,” said DLA Product Test Center director Keith Robinette. “Placing DNA marking at the Electronics Product Test Center is a perfect fit. The center performs a variety of tests to assure that electronic items procured by DLA meet warfighter demands and quality requirements. DNA marking will augment this capability.”
