Finding Military Parts Suppliers
The military war machine runs on parts. Spare, rotables, and expendable parts are incredibly important in how every military mission is accomplished. There is not one single military mobilization that doesn’t rely heavily on the availability of parts.
If you are in the profession of procuring military parts for a fleet of military machines, whether trucks, tanks, aircraft, or what have you, you need to know how to find the most reputable sources of military parts. There are many military parts suppliers out there, but who is the best?
Let’s look at how you can find military parts suppliers and ensure you are getting the best prices and the best parts.
What Are Military Parts?
Alright, so here’s a question: are there any parts that are “military parts?” Well, yes and no.
A military standard part is any component that has been approved in the sets of requirements set forth by the Department of Defense. This is the basic, bare-bones explanation of a MIL-SPEC part.
MIL-SPEC applies to tens of thousands of items. MIL-SPEC are just specifications that these items must meet. I.e., tensile strength on hardware, thread count on uniform tops and trousers, etc. MIL-STD is a document that establishes a uniform set of engineering or technical requirements. These are for military-unique procedures, practices, methods, etc.
MIL-SPEC, short for "military specifications," is a set of detailed criteria and standards established by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to ensure three key elements of materials, products, and processes used in military and aerospace applications, which are:
- Quality
- Reliability
- Compatibility
Why Do You Need To Find Military Parts Suppliers?
When you are working on military equipment, i.e., tactical military equipment or anything defined as MIL-SPEC, the parts must be MIL-SPEC parts. This is a non-negotiable. MIL-SPEC parts are not merely stamped MIL-SPEC; they are required by law to adhere to the standards published by the DoD.
Only MIL-SPEC parts are certified for use in military-specific applications.
Now, there is an important distinction to make here: not every item used by the military is required to be MIL-SPEC. Non-tactical vehicles are a great example of this.
The DoD owns thousands upon thousands of construction vehicles, agricultural vehicles (tractors, etc), utility vehicles, golf carts, and passenger vehicles. These vehicles are only used in the garrison, meaning they are never intended to be used tactically in the field. The unit owns some passenger vehicles and light trucks. In contrast, others are GSE-leased vehicles, but either way, non-tactical vehicles are not required to use MIL-SPEC parts unless specifically instructed.
How to Find Military Parts Suppliers
Finding a reputable and reliable parts supplier is not as easy as it sounds. You can rely on Google if you want to, but these aren’t always your best bet. In fact, some of the more reliable and high-quality military parts suppliers don’t have much of a web presence. They have largely built a reputation through personal networking.
This is where Greenwood Aerospace shines. We have spent decades in this business, building our reputation as a premier parts procurement organization.
We have been a pioneer in public procurement for the past four decades. We take great satisfaction in providing prompt, effective procurement support for all types of customers, from little parts to massive fixed-wing aircraft.
The country's largest defense contractors, the Department of Interior, the Department of Energy, NOAA, and all divisions of the US military are among our clients. With decades of experience, we can deliver prompt, dependable service to ensure your program stays on schedule.
Private Suppliers
The most common sources of military parts are from private suppliers. We specialize in finding these military parts suppliers and building lasting relationships with them so we can provide your organization with the exact parts that you need.
Our primary goal is rapid, effective procurement of aerospace parts and aircraft to keep your programs on track. Through our extensive and detailed process of acquisition, inspection, and delivery, we ensure you receive the exact aircraft or part you need on time. Specializing in government procurement, we offer:
- Aircraft Procurement
- Parts Procurement Services
- Ground Support Procurement or Leasing
See, if you were to have to source all the parts in your area of responsibility, you would have to keep hundreds of suppliers in your Rolodex.
We will source your entire catalog of parts from our extensive list of suppliers so you can focus on other things. Not only will we source MIL-SPEC parts, but we will also be your MIL-SPEC packaging experts. We can also warehouse parts for you if you operate on limited space. When you need the parts, we will ship them to you using MIL-SPEC shipping and packaging standards.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Military Parts Supplier
Procuring military parts is a serious business. You must ensure that the parts are what they say they are and that they are MIL-SPEC parts when they say they are. Here are some of the most important things to look for in a military parts supplier.
Reputation
As they say, reputation is everything. If the company you are looking at has a poor reputation or no reputation, you might reconsider. Of course, that is one of our best services: see, Greenwood Aerospace handles all of the vetting for you. We are well acquainted and have worked with many of the best suppliers in the DoD and military parts world for many years, so we have already taken the guesswork out of it.
Reliability
Reliability of parts and service reliability are critical to the military parts supply and procurement process. You need to know that the parts are what you need, but just as importantly, you need to know that the supplier is reliable.
We handle the vetting process because we know how hard it is to find reputable suppliers. When time is of the essence, and you need to get airplanes in the air, convoys on the road, or what have you, you don’t need to lose sleep worrying about whether or not your suppliers are reliable. We will handle that for you.
Price
As a steward of the government, you have a fixed budget to operate within. We understand that, so we work to secure the best military parts contractors in the business. You may also have rotables that need a reputable yet affordable contractor for repairs or rebuilds.
We can handle it.
Delivery Time
One of the biggest challenges with government contracts is delivering on time and cost. How many dozens of cases have we seen where a project's cost overruns ran into the billions, and the project was three years late? We at Greenwood Aerospace are sensitive to this. We only partner with reputable contractors with a strong track record of timeliness and fiduciary responsibility.
Parting Thoughts
Finding the right military parts supplier can be like finding a needle in a haystack. However working with Greenwood Aerospace can be done much more easily and more efficiently.
We have been working with aerospace and defense military contractors for decades. No matter what project you are working on, from the T-6 Texan II to the E-11 Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, we can source the parts or the contracts you need to keep them repaired and in the air.
If you are ready to find that needle in the haystack, give us a call today or start an online quote! One of our parts procurement professionals will get with you and help you find what you are looking for!
Meta: The military runs on parts, and finding the right military parts suppliers can be challenging. This article discusses what military parts are, why they’re important, how to find military parts suppliers, and some things to consider when choosing a military parts supplier.
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