Pentagon: impossible to rid of Huawei telecom gear, officials beg Congress for Chinese waiver

The US Department of Defense has been asking for a waiver from legislation that stops it from doing business with companies that use Huawei's telecommunications equipment... but with the increased tensions between the US and China, that waiver might be impossible.

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Pentagon officials insist that it would be impossible to get Huawei technology out of all US Department of Defense operations, with the prohibition signed into law in 2019 under the National Defense Authorization Act. Under Section 889 of that act, US government agencies are barred from entering or renewing contracts with any country or company that uses telecommunications equipment made by China-based Huawei.

Brennan Grignon, the founder of 5M Strategies and a former Defense Department official, said: "There are certain parts of the world where you literally cannot get away from Huawei. The original legislation had very good intentions behind it, but the execution and understanding of the implications of what it would mean, I personally think that wasn't really thought through".

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Some suggest the US Department of Defense needs to work quicker, and assertively, to freeze Huawei out of its operations. Clyde Prestowitz, president of the Economic Strategy Institute, said: "I do have some sympathy with the Pentagon guys because they do have a huge network of different things that they have to connect with in the Asia-Pacific region and also in Europe. But they're lazy. For companies in those areas, to have big business with the US Department of the Defense is important. And I feel that we should be taking every step to eliminate Huawei where we can".

The next iteration of the National Defense Authorization Act is scheduled to take effect in 2025, with Congress currently debating over it right now. Pentagon officials are pushing for a waiver to be granted, with some saying it would help important resupply missions in multiple parts of the world, and to maintain national security.

US military personnel often rely on Huawei-based networks, whether they're special operators or missions in the Indo-Pacific region, or even senior officials representing the US at international air shows... they can't get away from Huawei unfortunately.