Defence packaging that is not demonstrably compliant creates legal, contractual and operational risks. By managing standards, test status, documentation and procurement criteria, organisations can prevent non-compliance. This keeps packaging, safety and operational readiness demonstrably under control.
Summary of this article
Non-compliance in defence packaging can have serious consequences, ranging from damaged equipment and rejected deliveries to delays, recovery costs and contractual penalties. For mission-critical equipment, the issue extends beyond transport damage. An error in the packaging, marking or documentation can directly affect a system’s availability and deployability.
At Faes, we believe that compliance can never be considered separately from the complete application. The packaging, interior, transport method, operating environment and required documentation must demonstrably align with one another. This article explains where the greatest risks lie and how they can be managed.
Packaging that cannot be demonstrated to meet the agreed requirements creates both operational and commercial risks. Equipment may be damaged during transport, while missing test documentation, incorrect markings or the use of a non-compliant material may already be sufficient grounds for rejecting a delivery.
Not every defence packaging solution requires the same certificates. The determining factors are the contract, the requirements specification, the type of equipment, the logistics route and any applicable dangerous goods regulations. The real risk arises when a supplier cannot demonstrate that the delivered solution meets those specific requirements.
Possible consequences include:
The financial consequences are often not limited to the value of the packaging itself. Emergency transport, technical inspections, repairs, downtime and the repetition of acceptance tests may all contribute to the total cost of failure.
Defence packaging is compliant when it demonstrably meets the requirements established for the relevant assignment and application. There is therefore no universal certificate that automatically makes every packaging solution suitable for military use.
Supporting evidence may include:
It is important that requirements are not merely stated, but translated into specific design criteria and acceptance values. “Shock-resistant”, for example, is not sufficiently specific. The applicable load, test method, configuration and acceptance criteria must be clearly defined.
The applicable standards vary by contract. MIL-STDs are United States defence standards and should not be described as NATO standards. Within NATO, STANAGs and the associated Allied Publications are commonly used. National defence specifications and civilian NEN, EN, ISO or ASTM standards may also apply.
Frequently used MIL-STDs include:
MIL-STD-2073-1 addresses protection against corrosion, degradation and mechanical damage during storage, handling and transport, among other matters. MIL-STD-129 contains minimum requirements for standardised military marking.
MIL-STD-810 requires particular attention because it does not prescribe one fixed test for every packaging solution. The relevant conditions and test methods must be tailored to the equipment’s life cycle and actual operating profile. A general claim that packaging is “MIL-STD-810 certified” therefore says very little unless the performed methods, procedures, load levels and test configuration are specified.
When the contents are classified as dangerous substances or dangerous goods, additional transport regulations apply. In Europe, the ADR is relevant to road transport. Air transport is governed by the ICAO Technical Instructions, while the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations are used within the air-freight chain to apply these requirements in practice.
This may apply, for example, to:
In these situations, it is not enough for the outer packaging alone to be correct. Classification, permitted quantities, inner packaging, closure method, UN marking, labelling and transport documentation must all be assessed in conjunction with one another. A robust flight case is therefore not automatically an approved packaging solution for dangerous goods.
The legal and contractual consequences may range from refusal of delivery and recovery costs to penalties, termination of the contract and liability for demonstrable damage.
The appropriate measure depends on the agreement, the severity of the deviation and the relationship between the breach and the resulting damage. Liability therefore does not automatically rest entirely with the packaging supplier. Incorrect use, modified contents, improper loading or transport outside the agreed operating profile may also play a role.
Exclusion from future tenders is not an automatic consequence of a single deviation either. Under European procurement rules, exclusion on the basis of previous performance generally requires significant or persistent deficiencies in the performance of an essential requirement. The deficiency must also have resulted in consequences such as early termination, damages or a comparable sanction. Proportionality and the opportunity to restore reliability also play an important role.
It is therefore advisable to define clearly in the contract who is responsible for the specification, design, contents, test configuration, approval and any modifications made during the service life.
Non-compliance can directly affect the availability of mission-critical equipment. Insufficient protection against shock, vibration, moisture, dust or temperature may result in visible damage, but also in hidden defects that only become apparent during operation.
For electronic equipment, electrostatic discharge, condensation and electromagnetic influences may also be relevant. In optical systems or calibrated equipment, even a small displacement may be sufficient to affect performance. An incorrectly designed foam interior can also cause problems when it provides insufficient cushioning, becomes permanently deformed or places pressure on critical parts of the product.
For this reason, we do not start with the dimensions of the case, but with the vulnerability of the equipment and the conditions throughout the logistics chain. Only then can the material, construction, cushioning and test method be selected responsibly.
There is no general rule requiring every defence packaging solution to be periodically recertified. However, reassessment, inspection or a new test may be necessary when the original assumptions change or when the contract requires it.
Relevant situations include:
A new edition of a standard does not automatically invalidate packaging that was previously approved. It must first be established which version of the standard applies contractually and whether the update affects the design, test results or acceptance.
Long-term storage does not automatically create a recertification requirement either. A technical inspection may nevertheless be necessary to rule out ageing, corrosion, dried-out seals or degradation of the interior.
The best way to prevent non-compliance is to include packaging at an early stage of the development and procurement process. When packaging is not discussed until shortly before delivery, there is often insufficient time for engineering, prototyping, testing and corrective action.
Our main recommendations are:
The test report should not be the only consideration. Packaging that has been tested correctly can still be used incorrectly in practice. Clear, up-to-date and controlled packaging instructions are therefore an important part of compliance.
Most compliance problems do not arise because requirements are ignored completely, but because they are not adequately translated into the packaging design. A standard may have been correctly included in a specification, while the selected construction, shock absorption, climate control or documentation may still fail to match the equipment and the conditions in which it is transported, stored and deployed.
This technical translation is precisely where Faes’ expertise lies. We combine knowledge of defence requirements with packaging development, custom engineering, system integration, production and testing. As a result, we do not assess defence packaging as a standalone product, but as part of the complete system and the mission for which that system must remain available.
Requirements relating to protection, transport, storage, maintenance, deployability and demonstrability are incorporated from the outset. This prevents standards from being checked only at the end of a project, when modifications are often costly and can cause delays.
Our contribution to the Dutch Ministry of Defence’s TITAAN project demonstrates what this means in practice. For vulnerable communications equipment, we developed enclosures that combined mechanical protection, sealing, temperature control and practical deployability in a single technical solution. The objective was not only to transport the equipment safely, but also to keep it reliably operational under demanding conditions.
Faes helps organisations design compliance into the solution, rather than having to demonstrate afterwards that an existing packaging solution complies. This reduces the risk of rejection, redesign, delays and operational failure. The result is a substantiated, producible and mission-ready solution whose technical choices can be demonstrably justified.
Are you preparing a new defence packaging project, reassessment or tender? Involve Faes at an early stage. Together, we translate the technical and operational requirements into a solution that demonstrably complies and remains reliably deployable.
Michel Prins is Account Manager at Faes and a specialist in Safety & Security. Thanks to his background at the Ministry of Defense and years of experience in the sector, he advises organizations on reliable packaging solutions for critical applications. He combines practical knowledge with technical expertise to package sensitive equipment safely and efficiently.
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