What Is MIL-STD-2073 for Shipping?

MIL-STD-2073 for shipping is a set of standards you should follow when shipping items to the military to ensure they don’t degrade during transportation and storage. As the military may receive sensitive, critical stock for battle and other national operations, these standards must be met to maintain the integrity of all contents.

Military Packaging

The MIL-STD-2073 applies to any military contents that won’t be used immediately (within six months) or are mission-capable contents. Military packaging sets standards for two shipping and storage scenarios. Level A provides for the most challenging conditions anywhere in the world, where contents should be kept safe in any severe environment. Level B helps ensure military contents are safe in moderate, standard conditions.

Standard Processes for Military Packaging

Several steps involved in transporting military contents include packaging, preservation and packing. These steps ensure critical components and devices are in good working order and can be used immediately once unpackaged.

Packaging

Packaging for the military involves marking the contents with a label stating MIL-STD-2073. Doing this ensures the package and contents are handled, preserved and stored according to military standards.

Preservation

Because the MIL-STD-2073 is primarily for mission-capable items or goods military personnel will store for more than six months, preservation methods are comprehensive. Physically protecting the contents is crucial to ensure they remain intact with little to no damage. A preservative coating will aid in safeguarding devices as they’re handled and shipped, while waterproofing can keep items from being damaged by water and moisture.

The steps to be followed for preserving military contents are:

Wrapping
Cushioning
Unit packing
Identifying
Cleaning
Drying
Preserving

These steps and methods rely on superior packaging materials and processes to help ensure items remain clean, dry and safe during handling, shipping and long-term storage.

Packing

Once each item has been cleaned, protected and wrapped, it is packed according to MIL-STD-2073. Contents are placed in exterior packaging, cushioned and weatherproofed to add protection from harsh conditions, moisture, ESD events, acts of God and other incidents.

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Remain MIL-STD-2073 Compliant With Caltex Plastics

Military packaging is handled differently than standard commercial packaging due to the nature of the industry and its work. Critical military safety and testing operations demand high-quality protection throughout the packaging, preservation and packing stages. Military contents need adequate and robust shielding from moisture, ESD and other environmental pressures.

Caltex Plastics has been supplying packaging solutions enhanced for the military for decades. We engineer our packaging with robust, durable material and coatings for the best possible shielding. For more information, get in touch with us online or browse our packaging solutions today.