By Stephen Nellis
(Reuters) – An amendment passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last week could bar the U.S. military from purchasing digital display technologies made by state-backed firms in China or Russia.
The lawmaker who sponsored the amendment, Austin Scott, a Georgia Republican, said reliance on technologies from “adversarial sources” poses a national security risk.
The amendment was part of the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act, a law passed each year to fund the U.S. 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 smart phones, from firms backed by the governments of U.S. 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,” Scott told Reuters.
In a statement, Scott told Reuters the revised amendment aims to ensure the U.S. does not become dependent on displays from other foreign adversaries such as Russia.
The measure to fund the U.S. military, including Scott’s amendment, is subject to approval by the Senate.
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 U.S. list of Chinese military companies.
(Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Leslie Adler)
