No China, Russia digital display tech if measure in US defence Bill is approved
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The amendment to the US National Defence Authorisation Act would bar the US military from buying digital display technologies made by state-backed firms in China or Russia.
PHOTO: KENNY HOLSTON/NYTIMES
Follow topic:
- US House passed an amendment to bar the military from buying digital displays from state-backed Chinese or Russian firms.
- Republican Austin Scott said reliance on "adversarial sources" is a national security risk for critical military equipment.
- The amendment, part of the National Defence Authorisation Act, awaits Senate approval and aims to ensure US technological sovereignty.
AI generated
WASHINGTON - An amendment passed by the US House of Representatives last week could bar the US military from purchasing digital display technologies made by state-backed firms in China or Russia.
The lawmaker who sponsored the amendment, Mr Austin Scott, a Georgia Republican, said reliance on technologies from “adversarial sources” poses a national security risk.
The amendment was part of the US National Defence Authorisation Act, a law passed each year to fund the US military that received approval from the House in a 231-196 vote.
The amendment would bar the Pentagon from purchasing OLED displays, the same kind of displays used in smartphones, from firms backed by the governments of US adversaries.
“These technologies are the backbone of critical military equipment, from cockpit displays to soldier-worn systems, and our dependence on adversarial sources poses a clear risk to our national security and technological sovereignty,” Mr Scott told Reuters.
In a statement, Mr Scott told Reuters the revised amendment aims to ensure the US does not become dependent on displays from other foreign adversaries such as Russia.
The measure to fund the US military, including Mr Scott’s amendment, is subject to approval by the Senate.
Mr Scott’s amendment is broader than an earlier version that would have required the Pentagon to examine whether several Chinese companies should be added to a US list of Chinese military companies. REUTERS
