Breaking into defence means mastering compliance

There is a long and exacting path to becoming a supplier to the international defence industry.

That message comes from Frank Dühring, director of Multicut North America, who has experienced the process at first hand. He recently addressed Danish, Swedish and Norwegian metal subcontractors at Mazak Technology Days in Denmark.

- There is a great deal of money in the defence sector at the moment. But it is difficult to enter. It requires both capability and long-term commitment, he says, offering an example:

- If you want to supply components for fighter aircraft and missiles, you must be certified to EN 9100 for aerospace. You need control of your sub-suppliers and you must demonstrate document control, full traceability and robust risk management to your customers.

Stringent requirements

For the past 17 years, Dühring has been based in the United States, where he has negotiated major contracts with several leading US defence primes on behalf of the Danish company.

Documentation requirements in the defence industry are unusually stringent, he notes. 

Components installed in the tip of a missile, for example, may be exposed to significant mechanical stress and wide temperature fluctuations. Every specification must therefore be met and evidenced.

- It is not enough to produce a high-quality product. You must know in detail where the material originates, who melted it and the precise composition of the alloy.

 -We often say that we do not deliver components with documentation, but documentation with components, says Dühring.

Even processes such as surface treatment require formal approvals. 

Where external providers are used, they must typically hold Nadcap accreditation for aerospace and defence work. There are relatively few such certified suppliers, which can create bottlenecks in the supply chain.

Certification and clearance

Multicut obtained EN 9100 certification in 2013, positioning the company for the current upswing in defence demand. Today, the defence sector accounts for approximately 40 percent of its revenue.

Duhring describes EN 9100 as the minimum threshold accepted by aerospace and defence customers. It is a prerequisite rather than a differentiator.

Beyond certification, suppliers must register and secure approval across multiple customer systems. Personnel may also require security clearance from the Danish Defence Intelligence Service, depending on programme sensitivity.

- You must be willing to invest and commit to the journey. Otherwise, it is not worth pursuing, he says.

Defining a credible offer

Asked about the first step towards entering the defence market, Dühring advises companies to start with an internal assessment.

- You should ask yourself: what are we particularly good at? How can we create value for a specific customer? Is there anyone in the defence sector who needs what we can offer?

- Then you must determine which requirements apply and examine the documentation standards set by each customer. Unfortunately, these vary from one to another.

He cautions that extensive documentation requirements will increase administrative overhead.

- The defence sector is highly trust-based. The customer must have confidence that what you offer will work and create fewer problems than those they already face.

As an initial step, he recommends attending defence exhibitions and conferences, such as the DDAC Danish Defence Annual Conference at the Bella Center, which attracts more than 1,000 participants and 100 exhibitors.

- That is where those with something to offer meet those looking to buy. In two days, you can meet between 20 and 50 companies that could become future customers.

This article was first published in Defence Nordics’ affiliate publication, Metal Supply.dk