AQAP

AQAP – Allied Quality Assurance Publications

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) has set requirements for a supply chain quality system in the military and related industries. The set of applicable documents specifies the requirements for carrying out deliveries for the army, however they do not specify requirements for the product or production processes. The legal basis for the AQAP requirements is the NATO standardization document – STANAG 4107.

AQAP documents are and extension of requirements of standards recognized as basic, i.e. quality standards of ISO 9000 series. Furthers specifications and editions of AQAP documents have been developed on the basis of requirements of ISO 9000 series of standards.

Having implemented system conforming to AQAP requirements is obligatory in enterprises designing, manufacturing and supplying products or providing services for Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland or other NATO armies. Therefore, a system conforming to AQAP shall be implemented and maintained if the enterprise is interested in designing, manufacturing or deliveries for the army and wants acquire more new orders and successfully maintain existing contracts for the army.

The purpose of the quality assurance system is to increase certainty that product ordered for Armed Forces of RP will be meet requirements specified in a contract.

At present, the following AQAP requirements introduced directly by STANAG 4107 apply:

Basic quality assurance requirements:

• AQAP 2110 Edition D Version 1 NATO quality assurance requirements for design, development and production
• AQAP 2131 Edition C Version 1 NATO quality assurance requirements for final inspection and test
• AQAP 2310 Edition B Version 2 NATO quality assurance requirements for aviation, space and defence suppliers

Supplementary quality assurance requirements:

• AQAP 2105 Edition C Version 1 NATO requirements for quality plans
• AQAP 2210 Edition B Version 1 NATO supplementary software quality assurance requirements to AQAP-211 and AQAP-2310

Supplementary information published as documents related to standards current on January 2020:

• AQAP 2105 Edition C Version 1 NATO requirements for quality plans
• AQAP 2210 Edition A Version 2 NATO supplementary software quality assurance requirements to AQAP-211 and AQAP-2310
• AQAP 4107 Edition A Version 2 Mutual acceptance of government quality assurance and usage of the allied quality assurance publications (AQAP)
• AQAP-4107-SRD.2 Edition A Version 1 AQAP selection guidance

The benefits of implementing, functioning and certification in the organization of thee quality assurance system conforming to AQAP include inter alia:

• increase of market competitiveness
• arrangement of decision-making processes through increase their effectiveness and efficiency
• ensuring traceability of implemented processes
• reduction of risks associated with ongoing projects
• minimization of errors resulting from human factor
• effective control of functioning organizational units
• increase of the credibility of the organization
• meeting of the client’s requirements through continuous focus on customer needs.

The AQAP requirements apply when the organization intends to execute orders for services subordinate to the Minister of National Defence.

At present, the vast majority of orders for the army is executed in accordance with the requirements set out in one of the AQAP requirements of contractual-type (listed above).

In addition, it should be emphasized that products purchased for the needs of the armed forces very often are included in the so-called strategic goods, for which the relevant licenses or certificates (WSK) are required.

Therefore, it could be beneficial for entrepreneurs to analyse the potential advantages of implementation of the system conforming to the AQAP requirements, integration it with the existing WSK or implementation of WSK, and then certification of the system by an independent, competent body (third party) as confirmation of meeting these requirements.

Industry sectors that are mainly interested in AQAP certification:

• Electrics and Electronics
• Construction industry
• IT and Communication industry
• Medicine industry
• Transport and Logistics
• Trade
• Protection of people and property
• Defence
• Food
• Services for the army and related industries.