scope:

Purpose.

This standard contains materiel acquisition program planning and engineering direction for considering the influences that environmental stresses have on materiel throughout all phases of its service life. It is important to note that this document does not impose design or test specifications. Rather, it describes the environmental tailoring process that results in realistic materiel designs and test methods based on materiel system performance requirements.

This document supports the functions of three different groups of personnel involved in the materiel acquisition process. Each of these groups is critical to the goal of successfully incorporating environmental considerations into materiel design, test, and evaluation. Although each group has different tasks to perform, none of these tasks can be isolated from the others in a successful acquisition program. As shown on Figure 1-2, this information is intended for the following:

Materiel acquisition program managers among whose responsibilities is ensuring materiel will function as required in intended operational environments. (See 4.1, below.)

Environmental engineering specialists (EES) who assist combat and materiel developers throughout the acquisition process to tailor their materiel designs and test designs to environmental stresses/constraints expected during the materiel's service life. (See 4.2, below.)

Design, test, and evaluation community analysts, engineers, and facility operators who meet user needs by focusing on tailored designs and tests. (See 4.3, below, and Part Two of this standard.)

Application.

The tailoring process described in this standard (i.e., systematically considering detrimental effects that various environmental factors may have on a specific materiel system throughout its service life) applies throughout the materiel acquisition cycle to all materiel developed for military or commercial applications, including foreign and non-development item (NDI) procurements, procurements, or modifications of Allied systems or materiel, and cooperative development opportunities with one or more Allied nations to meet user and interoperability needs (DoDD 5000.1).

Part One lays out a disciplined, tailored approach for acquiring systems that will withstand the stresses of climatic, shock and vibration environments that they expect to see in their service lives. The basic process for acquiring materiel that satisfies users' needs from this environmental engineering viewpoint is depicted on Figure 1-1.

Part Two also is an integral part of the environmental tailoring process. It contains tailoring information, environmental stress data, and laboratory test methods. The environmental data contained in the methods may help, but should not be used exclusively to define environmental stresses that materiel will encounter throughout its service life. This will help engineers to tailor analyses and tests to specific materiel and its defined life cycle. It is not valid to call out all of the methods in this standard in a blanket fashion for a materiel system; nor is it valid, once a method is determined appropriate, (except for Method 528) to regard the environmental stress data, test criteria, and procedures in the method as unalterable.

Part Three provides planning guidance for realistic consideration (starting points) of climatic conditions in the research, development, test, and evaluation (RDTE) of materiel and materials used throughout their life cycles in various climatic regions throughout the world. It is intended that this and related documents will help achieve the objective of developing materiel that will perform adequately under the environmental conditions likely to be found throughout its life cycle in the areas of intended use.

Guidance and test methods of this standard are intended to:

Define environmental stress sequences, durations, and levels of materiel life cycles.

Be used to develop analysis and test criteria tailored to the materiel and its environmental life cycle.

Evaluate materiel performance when exposed to a life cycle of environmental stresses.

Identify deficiencies, shortcomings, and defects in materiel design, materials, manufacturing processes, packaging techniques, and maintenance methods.

Demonstrate compliance with contractual requirements.

Limitations.

Although environmental analysis, design analysis, and laboratory testing are valuable tools in the materiel acquisition process, there are inherent limitations in analysis and laboratory testing techniques that must be recognized. The methods in Part Two of this standard do not include many of the naturally-occurring forcing functions that may affect materiel performance or integrity in service use. Further, analytic and laboratory test methods are limited in their abilities to simulate synergistic or antagonistic stress combinations, dynamic (time sequence) stress applications, aging, and other potentially significant stress combinations present in natural field/fleet service environments. Use caution when defining and extrapolating analyses, test criteria, and results. Part Two test methods purposely do not address the following but may, in some cases, be applied:

Electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Lightning and magnetic effects.

Nuclear, biological, chemical weapons or their effects.

Certain aspects of munitions and pyrotechnics safety testing.

Piece parts such as bolts, wires, transistors and integrated circuits.

Packaging performance or design.

Suitability of clothing or fabric items that are described in specific specifications.

Environmental stress screening (ESS) methods and procedures.

Reliability testing.

Safety testing.

intended Use: