According to a 2011 Senate Arms Services Committee estimate, counterfeit parts are costing US taxpayers more than $6 billion a year. To address the problem of counterfeit electronic components infiltrating the defense supply chain, the International Electro-technical Commission’s Quality Assessment System (IECQ) for electronic components has been proposed. This certification, dubbed AS6081, targets independent distributors.
The AS6081 international counterfeit-avoidance standard mandates oversight by third-party auditors. To ensure that testing is performed when required, the certification demands transparency between the distributor and the procurement department purchasing the electronic components. (Ultimately, the engineer for each application will determine the degree of testing required based on the risk presented.)
The SAE AS6081 standard ensures uniform requirements, practices, and methods to mitigate the risk of distributors purchasing and supplying counterfeit electronic parts throughout the defense and aerospace supply chains. This Counterfeit Avoidance Process Certification program is administered by the IEC IECQ based in Geneva, Switzerland. Secure Components LLC is the first firm to complete an audit by DNV, which certified that this distributor conforms to the AS6081 Counterfeit Avoidance Standard. The first phase of the Secure Components audit was witnessed by ANAB, the US IAF MLA signatory accreditation body.