What are MIL-SPEC and MIL-STD?

The United States military is a massive purchaser of goods. Tanks, jets, and weapons of war are the most obvious things the Department of Defense requires, but the military is also a leading purchaser for things like storage solutions, electronics, hardware of all shapes and kinds, service and repair tools, and more. But in the military, everything must be standardized for the sake of reliability, commonality, and compatibility between various systems, allowing maintenance crews to swap out components at a moment’s notice. MIL-SPEC is the set of specifications that the military has set for a particular component, with most of the component’s design rights owned by the government. MIL-SPEC certified equipment is manufactured by various companies to the specifications needed to sell to the Department of Defense and its various contractors.

Learn More