VantageClear Certification

Defense equipment manufacturing in all of its forms has the most stringent quality standards and regulations of any industry. There are many different certifications and regulation compliance standards to navigate, especially when it comes to military-grade electronics. These are the most common standards that the Department of Defense (DoD) requires in Defense Industry manufacturing. 

Military Standards, most often referred to as MIL-STD or MIL-SPEC, are standards set specifically by the DoD that guide the end characteristics of products, as well as the processes and materials that go into making the product. These standards also set the bar for the security used to ensure that the products are safe and secure for use in the military. 

MIL-SPEC is important for the standardization across manufacturing, allowing for commonality, reliability, and compatibility between systems. There are several types of standards under this umbrella, each governing a different part of the manufacturing process, such as the interface of the end-use product, the design criteria for each and every component, the manufacturing processes used to make the product, the standard practices for security, and the testing capabilities for quality assurance and performance. 

ITAR compliance is a set of regulations from the U.S. Department of State, focused on the transfer of sensitive information that could involve military equipment. These regulations govern the export and import of Defense-related articles and services through the U.S. Companies who are ITAR compliant are responsible for how they fulfill the requirements set by ITAR, but ultimately must ensure that their data, technical specifications, other information, and any products are protected. 

NADCAP (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) is an accreditation program for electronics manufacturers. This is an industry-managed approach towards conformity across the aerospace engineering, defense and other related industries. The goal of the program is to establish standardized accreditation requirements and define operational program requirements for manufacturers in these sectors. 

The AS 9100 certification is specifically designed for the Aviation, Space, and Defense (ASD) sectors of manufacturing. This certification is based on the ISO 9001 standards, but has been developed specifically for aerospace engineering and manufacturing, with requirements for production control, product realization, design and development, product safety, preventative action, and much more. The result of an AS 9100 certification is a robust quality management system that can meet the stringent requirements of the Defense and Aerospace sectors.