A recent Pentagon effort to add infrared detection technology to the U.S. Munitions List has caused concern for many U.S. companies. Infrared imaging is currently considered a dual use item because it has both commercial and military purposes. Adding the technology to the U.S. Munitions List could potentially shut U.S. companies out of a global market of about $2.6 billion by 2017 in the automotive, surveillance and security industries.
Infrared imaging’s military and commercial uses include night-vision devices, weapon sights, automobile collision-avoidance cameras, security cameras, and thermography. Because of this, the technology is only subject to the Department of Commerce’s export controls. If moved to the State Department’s Munitions List, infrared imaging would face the government’s most stringent export rules. Export licenses would be harder to obtain and increased restrictions would be implemented for transferring technology to third parties.
Because the rest of the world considers the technology dual-use, this decision by the Pentagon would give foreign competition a significant advantage. The controls would cause a substantial reduction of manufacturing and design facilities in the U.S. and move development offshore, so the Pentagon is anticipating a fierce debate by U.S. companies. A draft of the revised munitions list is expected to be released as early as this month.
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