AS9102 First Article Inspection: What a Defense FAI Should Contain

Quick Answer: AS9102 Rev C (effective June 28, 2023) is the SAE / IAQG-published standard that governs First Article Inspection for aerospace and defense production parts. A compliant defense FAI submission must include three forms: Form 1 (part identification), Form 2 (raw material and special-process certifications), and Form 3 (dimensional verification keyed to a bubble-annotated drawing), all tied to a balloon-numbered engineering drawing.

AS9102 differs from automotive PPAP: it's required by AS9100D-aligned quality systems on defense and aerospace programs, supports partial-FAI re-runs when a part lapses two years between production runs, and does not require DFMEA / PFMEA / control plans the way PPAP Level 3 does.

A quality engineer at a Prime defense contractor opens a first article inspection package from a new Tier-2 supplier and looks for three documents within the first ten seconds: Form 1, Form 2, and Form 3, each properly populated, each tied to a bubble-annotated engineering drawing. If any of those three forms is missing or incomplete, the FAI is rejected and the supplier's production schedule is on hold pending re-submission. The math of supplier qualification under AS9100D is unforgiving. The FAI is the first transactional moment when a new supplier proves they actually understand what production-grade defense fabrication looks like.

This post walks through what AS9102 Rev C requires, when it applies, and how it differs from a PPAP submission.

The current revision: AS9102 Rev C, June 2023

The operative revision is AS9102C, co-published by SAE International and the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) and effective June 28, 2023. It is harmonized internationally as 9102C, EN 9102 in Europe, and JISQ 9102 in Japan. Primes increasingly reject submissions still using Rev B forms; quality teams updating templates after June 2023 generally have the cleanest acceptance rates.

AS9102 is required by AS9100D Clause 8.5.1.3 for any supplier delivering production hardware under an AS9100 flowdown. It applies to production parts, not prototype or R&D parts, unless customer flowdown specifies otherwise.

What the three forms actually capture

AS9102 organizes evidence into three standardized forms, each with a defined role.

Form 1, Part Number Accountability. Identifies the part under inspection: part number, name, drawing revision, serial or lot number, production run identifier, and references to any parent assemblies or sub-assemblies. Form 1 is the cover sheet. If the part number, revision, or serial number is wrong, every downstream form is non-traceable.

Form 2, Product Accountability. Captures the raw material identification, applicable specifications, special processes (heat treat, plating, surface finish, non-destructive testing, welding), functional tests, and material certifications. Form 2 is where the supplier proves they used the right material from the right source through the right processes. For a defense fabrication shop, Form 2 lists every Mill Test Report, every special-process certification (e.g., AWS Certified Welder records, anodize-line vendor cert, magnetic-particle inspection records), and every functional-test record applicable to the part.

Form 3, Characteristic Accountability. Lists every design characteristic from the engineering drawing (dimensions, tolerances, notes, GD&T callouts, surface finish requirements) with corresponding measured results. The engineering drawing is "bubbled" (each characteristic numbered with a circled identifier), and each bubble number appears on Form 3 with the actual measurement and pass/fail disposition. Variable characteristics require variable data, not just attribute pass/fail.

A complete AS9102 FAI package is Form 1 + Form 2 + Form 3 + bubble-annotated drawing + supporting evidence (material certs, special-process certs, measurement reports). For complex parts with multiple sub-assemblies, separate Form 1/2/3 sets stack into a hierarchical FAI structure.

When AS9102 applies, and when partial FAI is appropriate

A full FAI is required for:

• The first production run of a new part.
• A design change affecting form, fit, or function.
• A change in manufacturing location, process, tooling, material, or supplier.
• Production lapse of more than two years for a part with prior FAI on record. This is the most-forgotten trigger.

A partial (delta) FAI is permitted when only some characteristics or processes have changed, for example, a tooling change that affects one critical dimension. Even a partial FAI requires every characteristic to be addressed on Form 3, but only the changed characteristics need new measured data.

The 2-year production-lapse rule catches more suppliers than any other trigger. A supplier who produced 50 units of a part in 2023, paused for the program's logistics cycle, and resumes production in 2026 owes a full FAI on the resumed run, even though nothing about the part has changed.

AS9102 versus PPAP: three differences procurement officers should track

The aerospace and defense world uses AS9102 First Article Inspection. The automotive world uses Production Part Approval Process (PPAP). Both confirm a supplier can produce conforming parts at scale, but they ask different questions.

Cpk capability is required by PPAP, not by AS9102. PPAP submissions at Level 3 and above require a process capability study with Cpk ≥ 1.67 on critical characteristics. AS9102 requires variable measurements with actual values per characteristic, but no statistical process control study at the FAI stage. A separate Process Capability Study may be required by customer-imposed supplemental requirements, but it is not part of AS9102 itself.

PPAP is tier-leveled; AS9102 is full-or-partial. PPAP submissions come at Levels 1 through 5, with Level 5 requiring on-site warrant. AS9102 uses full versus partial scope but no tier levels.

PPAP captures up to 18 elements; AS9102 captures three forms. PPAP submissions can include DFMEA, PFMEA, control plans, measurement systems analysis (MSA / Gage R&R), sample parts, dimensional reports, warrant of conformance, and more. AS9102 is leaner (Form 1/2/3, drawing, evidence) but each form is more rigorously specified.

A defense supplier asked to deliver "PPAP for an AS9100 part" is being asked to do something nonstandard. The correct response is usually to clarify the customer requirement: are they asking for AS9102 with supplemental Cpk data, or are they actually asking for a PPAP package on a part that does not normally require it?

How New Tech Metals handles FAI submissions

New Tech Metals runs first article inspection through CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) and supporting metrology equipment for variable data per characteristic. Material certifications and special-process records are retained per AS9100D 8.5.4 documented-information requirements and submitted as Form 2 evidence. Bubble drawings are generated from customer-supplied native CAD where available, and Form 3 measured data is tied bubble-by-bubble to the drawing for audit trail.

NTM's compliance footprint includes ISO 9001:2015, AWS Certified Welders, ITAR, DFARS Material Compliance, NIST and CMMC Cybersecurity Compliant, and DDTC registration, the standards that determine whether an FAI package is even accepted by a Prime's quality team.

Action

When you flow an AS9102 requirement to a new supplier, attach two things to the purchase order: a clear statement of whether full or partial FAI applies, and a customer-specific FAI checklist if your organization uses one beyond the AS9102 standard forms. A supplier producing an FAI under unclear scope guidance routinely produces non-conforming submissions on a part that's otherwise perfect.

For AS9102-ready fabrication quotes, request a quote from New Tech Metals.