The sockets covered by this specification are intended for use on a printed circuit board or mounting into a chassis. Terminals may be soldered to the printed circuit board unless otherwise noted (see 3.1). Only plug-in component leads with similar finishes to the mating socket contacts should be mated; reference MIL-HDBK-454, General Guidelines for Electronic Equipment.

Military-unique rationale. The connectors covered by this specification are military unique because they must be able to operate satisfactorily under high altitude (70,000 feet maximum), resist corrosion due to salt spray; and 30 g of shock without discontinuities. Commercial electronic connectors are not designed to withstand such extreme environmental conditions and would experience catastrophic failure.