SAE International Anti-Counterfeit Standards Integral to Obsolescence Management

July 25, 2018

Courtney E. Howard

Obsolescence management is key to the safe, secure, and reliable operation of platforms and systems over a long operational life. Counterfeit parts prevention is integral to an effective obsolescence management plan, and the focus of anti-counterfeit standards – including Counterfeit Avoidance Standard (AS5553) and Counterfeit Detection Standard (AS6081) – from SAE International in Warrendale, Pa.

SAE International Committee Chairs and members are bringing the anti-counterfeit discussion and sharing best practices, which include testing and verification of adherence to critical standards, to the Future of Obsolescence Management (FOM) event. Industry professionals will convene at FOM 2018, the premier obsolescence event – from Converge, an Arrow company, in Peabody, Mass. – on October 10 and 11 in Washington, to discuss the growing issue of obsolescence management and solutions for mitigating the risks posed by counterfeiting.

“SAE International is very pleased to partner with Converge again this year for its FOM event. There are very strong links between the work that SAE committees are doing in developing anti-counterfeit standards and the work that Converge does in managing obsolescence in the supply chain,” says Judith Ritchie, director of government and industry affairs - aerospace at SAE International.

The longer the life cycle of an aircraft or spacecraft, including satellites, for example, the greater the threat of obsolescence. As aerospace organizations endeavor to mitigate the effects of and replace end-of-life (EOL) parts no longer available from the original manufacturer, in an effort to keep the aircraft flying and satellites functioning, they seek the necessary parts from new sources. The introduction of counterfeit parts in the supply chain of safety-critical and mission-critical systems can have dire and potentially life-or-death consequences, and must be avoided. At the interactive FOM event, industry professionals and subject matter experts will share experiences and collaborate to help define a successful approach to managing obsolescence together, officials say.

FOM 2018 is providing more opportunity for learning, active participation, and collaboration, officials explain, with an additional half day of interactive workshops focused on two themes: data intelligence, and secure supply chain.

Supply chains are a vital part of the industry’s cybersecurity strategy, says Kirsten Koepsel, author of SAE International’s latest book, The Aerospace Supply Chain and Cyber Security – Challenges Ahead , now available.

SAE Aerospace Standards AS5553 and AS6081 were developed in response to a significant and increasing volume of fraudulent/counterfeit electronic parts entering the aerospace supply chain, posing significant performance, reliability, and safety risks. The standards provide uniform requirements, practices, and methods to mitigate the risks of purchasing and supplying fraudulent/counterfeit electronic parts.

Counterfeit Electronic Parts; Avoidance, Detection, Mitigation, and Disposition AS5553

This SAE Aerospace Standard standardizes practices to:

maximize availability of authentic parts,
procure parts from reliable sources,
assure authenticity and conformance of procured parts,
control parts identified as counterfeit,
and report counterfeit parts to other potential users and Government investigative authorities.

Fraudulent/Counterfeit Electronic Parts: Avoidance, Detection, Mitigation, and Disposition - Distributors AS6081

This SAE Aerospace Standard standardizes practices to:

identify reliable sources to procure parts,
assess and mitigate risk of distributing fraudulent/counterfeit parts,
control suspect or confirmed fraudulent/counterfeit parts,
and report suspect and confirmed fraudulent/counterfeit parts to other potential users and authority having jurisdiction.

Courtney E. Howard is editorial director and content strategist at SAE International, Aerospace Products Group. Contact her by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..