The Ministry of Defence is now using a new system for control of gear and clothing assets – what differences will this bring?

The Ministry of Defence outlines how the new system for receiving gear and clothing assets supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine operates.

To ensure the quality of gear and clothing items received by the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence employs an updated acceptance procedure. Under the new algorithm, items that fail to meet the requirements are returned to suppliers with justified remarks. Suppliers, in turn, must consider the recommendations and return the goods with the appropriate quality.

Since December 2023, the Main Department of Quality Control has initiated changes to the system for accepting gear and clothing assets. At the start of the new algorithm's implementation, in February-March 2024, 30-35% of the products were sent back to suppliers due to non-compliance. Thanks to the revised rules, the situation improved over the year, and this indicator now stands at no more than 10%. 

“Supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine with quality gear and clothing is not just a matter of standards, but also of trust in the state. The new approach to quality control establishes transparent conditions that motivate suppliers to meet the highest standards. This marks another step in improving the efficiency and fairness of the defense procurement system,” said Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Dmytro Klimenkov.

In December 2023, the procedure for testing samples of gear and clothing items in testing laboratories was resumed. This enabled the analysis of all indicators concerning raw materials and basic components used in gear and clothing items supplied under contracts for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It also helped identify suppliers' use of substandard materials in the manufacturing process.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence has established an agreement with the State Watch, a British foundation. This foundation finances an independent laboratory to perform a secondary review when there are suspicions of biased test outcomes.

In addition, the Main Department of Quality Control has altered the location for property acceptance, with items now being delivered to supply bases and inspected directly at the warehouses to mitigate any risk of substitution. Previously, suppliers were authorized to deliver gear and clothing items directly to military units after these items had been inspected at the production facility.