This Part of the Defence Standard describes the activities to be undertaken by the contractor to achieve an effective design through planning and through design assessment and checking. It gives details of acceptable reliability evaluation assessment techniques and methods such as fault tree analysis (FTA), failure mode, effect and critically analysis (FMECA), check lists and component dreading, that should be undertaken by the contractor. It also encourages the use of techniques for robust design.

This Part of the Defence Standard shall apply to all stages in the life of Service equipment for which it is specified.