FAT ORIENTATION

ORIENTATION ON

FIRST ARTICLE TESTING (FAT)

(CONTRACTOR TESTING)

Aviation and Missile Center (AvMC)
Systems Readiness Directorate (SRD)
Sustainment Division

26 April 2023

INTRODUCTION

This document is provided as an orientation to familiarize the Contractor with the purpose and scope of the First Article Test, Contractor Tested, as performed on this contract. It provides a detailed review of the processes, controls, and procedures described in the first article approval clause of the contract, FAR 52.209-3. Moreover, it is provided for informational purposes only and is not part of the terms and/or conditions of the contract. The contents of this orientation document shall not be construed or interpreted as direction to perform tasks, work, or labor which could result in a monetary charge to the U.S. Government. Additionally, the contents of this document shall not be used as direction to modify any existing contract between vendors and the U.S. Government. For questions regarding contracts and changes to contracts, consult your contracting officer. The contracting officer is the approving authority for all matters related to contracts.

TESTING

The purpose of the first article test and approval process are to assure that the Contractor has the capability to manufacture a product that conforms to all contract requirements. Per FAR 52.2093, participation in the FAT is an option available to the Government. It is imperative that the local Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Quality Assurance Representative (QAR) participate in the test, whether or not other government representatives attend. The on-site test participants should communicate expectations for the First Article Test Report (FATR), possibly preventing delays in approval.
The FAT normally begins with a meeting between all cognizant government and contractor personnel. The purpose of this meeting is to review the scope of the FAT and to agree upon the manner in which it will be conducted. A contractor representative is normally designated as a focal point of contact for government participants to coordinate actions and to obtain authoritative responses to issues that may arise. Prior to the meeting, a thorough review of the procurement package is completed to determine the technical scope involved and to ensure that participating personnel are intimately familiar with overall requirements. Additional meetings are held as often as necessary, and a final critique is conducted upon completion of the test. The