GAO Finds that Defense Department Recently Sold F-14 Parts to Public
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released to the public a report submitted to Congress last month indicating that the Department of Defense's Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) recently sold surplus aircraft parts to the public that could be used on F-14 fighter aircraft. The report states:
Although DRMS has clearly taken a proactive approach to identifying and removing sensitive items from its system, we determined that approximately 1,400 items newly designated as controlled property were sold to the public in February 2007. DRMS told us the parts were sold to the public because it did not successfully update its automated control list and remove these items prior to their being listed on the Web site. DRMS had identified these items as parts that could be used on the F-14 fighter aircraft.F-14 aircraft were retired by the U.S. military in 2006. It estimated that Iran, which acquired 79 F-14s from the U.S. in the 1970s, still has several of the aircraft left in service. As a result, Congress is in the process of enacting legislation that would prohibit the Department of Defense from selling or exporting parts that could be used on F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft.
On June 11, 2007 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Stop Arming Iran Act (H.R. 1441), a bill that would prohibit the sale of parts for F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft, except for those in a museum or preserved for historical purposes. The bill would also prohibits the issuance of export licenses for any F-14 aircraft parts to non-U.S. persons or entities. Similar language is included in H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.
Labels: Export Controls, ITAR
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