The Defense Department has issued a final rule that will amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement to implement a National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2012 requirement on the purchase of electronic parts for military systems.DoD said in a Federal Register notice published Tuesday the new policy is meant to help defense contractors and subcontractors obtain electronic parts from trusted suppliers as well as prevent fake components from entering the department’s supply chain.
“The avoidance of the proliferation of counterfeit electronic parts in the DoD supply chain reduces the risk of critical failure of fielded systems such as aircraft, ships, and other weapon systems, thus protecting troops’ lives and safety,” the notice states.
The department requires contractors who are not original component manufacturers to inform contracting personnel if it is impossible to procure components from a trusted supplier.
DoD said a contractor must inspect, test and authenticate an electronic part in accordance with current industry standards for those instances where the contractor obtains the components from sources other than a trusted supplier.
The rule is designed to also help the government and industry mitigate risks in the electronic parts acquisition process, according to the department.
