The U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last week, including a provision that prohibits the Pentagon from purchasing digital display technology produced by companies supported by the Chinese or Russian governments, especially OLED screens widely used in military equipment.
The amendment was proposed by Republican Representative Austin Scott from Georgia, who stated that the U.S. military’s reliance on “hostile source” technology poses a national security risk and should be restricted.
“These technologies are core to critical equipment such as cockpit displays and soldier wearable systems. We cannot allow our defense equipment to depend on supply chains from hostile nations, as this would threaten national security and technological sovereignty,” Scott told Reuters.
He further emphasized that the goal of this amendment is to “ensure that the U.S. will not rely on display suppliers from hostile nations like (Communist) China or Russia in the future,” and highlighted that the related measures are preventive in nature.
The amendment was passed by the House of Representatives last Thursday (September 11) with 231 votes in favor and 196 against, as part of the overall defense budget bill, and is currently pending review by the Senate. The bill does not clearly define which companies will be considered “government-supported,” but it is expected to target Chinese and Russian digital display technology companies with state-owned backgrounds, especially those involved in the military supply chain.
This restriction reflects the growing concern in the U.S. over risks to the military supply chain of critical components. OLED displays are widely used in military aircraft, ships, and ground systems, and any risks of eavesdropping, backdoors, or supply disruptions could create national security vulnerabilities.
If the measure ultimately takes effect, it will further intensify the decoupling of U.S.-China technology. In recent years, the U.S. has strengthened export controls and procurement bans on Chinese artificial intelligence (AI), high-end chips, communications equipment, and dual-use technologies. This is the first time legislation has been introduced to restrict specific display technologies.
Analysts point out that restricting digital display technology manufactured by China and Russia from entering the U.S. military supply chain will prompt the U.S. to accelerate the development of domestic high-end display manufacturing capabilities and stimulate industry cooperation among allies, thereby strengthening domestic industrial chain resilience.
Although this policy may cause short-term supply gaps or procurement pressures, in the long run, it is seen as beneficial for reshaping the manufacturing and control rights of strategic technologies, further driving the U.S. manufacturing industry back to a core position in the defense supply chain.