(AR 25-30, para. 1-27c.) Proponents for technical and equipment publications must plan for and prepare a schedule to develop, acquire, and initially distribute technical and equipment publications for the Materiel Acquisition Program (see AR 70–1 and AR 700–127). Proponents will ensure that the plan includes—
(1) A description of the style, content, and format of the publications and a schedule for completion.
(2) A strategy for preparing, validating, verifying, and delivering the publications.
Proponents will prepare or procure by contract equipment publications that —
(1) Are for items that have been type classified as standard or limited production.
(2) Are intended for issue to the field.
(3) Will require maintenance support at any level.
Proponents will coordinate and review equipment publications according to AR 750–1 and this regulation.
Proponents will ensure that equipment publications for operators—
(1) Accompany the equipment when it is issued to the user.
(2) Are listed in the basic issue items list.
Proponents will issue equipment publications for unit maintenance, direct support, general support, and aviation intermediate maintenance levels to these maintenance activities before or during equipment delivery. This includes electronic technical manuals (ETMs) and interactive electronic technical manuals (IETMs).
Publications on nondevelopmental items (AR 25-30, para. 3–23.) An off-the-shelf, commercially available item or system (non-developmental item (NDI)) purchased by the Army may have manufacturers’ publications that will serve Army requirements. Also, an off-the-shelf item altered to be a military adaptation of commercial item (MACI) may have manufacturers’ manuals that the Army can supplement and use. Proponents should make maximum use of manufacturers’ manuals when they meet requirements of MIL–PRF–32216. (See AR 70–1 for additional information on NDIs and MACIs.)
Proponents will not use MIL–PRF–32216 to contract for the preparation of equipment publications. The use of MIL–PRF–32216 is restricted to—
- Determining the acceptability of an off-the-shelf item.
- Determining the cost effectiveness of modifying a publication through the acquisition of supplemental data.
Proponents will follow the process below in acquiring manufacturers’ publications on NDI and MACI:
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Determine whether manufacturers’ manuals are available to support the NDI or MACI. If not, develop or acquire publications prepared to military specifications and standards.
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Determine whether available manufacturers’ manuals meet requirements of MIL–PRF–32216. With the user representative, determine whether the manuals are usable by the intended audience. Results of the Manuals Evaluation Checklist will determine whether the manual is acceptable as is, or whether the proponent must develop or acquire change and/or supplemental data in accordance with MIL–PRF–32216.
Proponents will prepare or acquire publications to military specifications and standards when any of the following conditions apply:
--The major item is an assemblage of commercially available assemblies (such as final drive, transmission, diesel engine, generator, voltage regulator, laser range finder, infrared camera, data bus, or gyrocompass) that have never before been used together in the configuration required by the Army. This item may be termed “non-developmental” but requires hardware and software development, integration, and testing.
--The manufacturer’s manual cannot be changed or supplemented.
--A change to the manufacturer’s manual plus supplemental data would not be practical or economically feasible. If the change plus supplemental data exceeds 50 percent of the original manual, it is better to prepare a manual to applicable military specifications and standards.
--The manufacturer’s manual is not usable by the intended audience.
Proponents will determine whether to authenticate manufacturers’ manuals using the criteria in AR 25-30.
Proponents will ensure the preventive maintenance checks and services of the manufacturer’s manual or supplementary material is always verified hands-on 100 percent by the user representative.
Unauthenticated manufacturers’ manuals. Proponents will acquire and provide to equipment users unauthenticated manufacturers’ manuals only when all the following conditions are met:
- The publication meets the requirements of MIL–PRF–32216, and no supplementary material (warning summary, lubrication instructions, RPSTL, maintenance allocation chart (MAC), and so forth) is needed to support the equipment.
- The publication is required for initial issue only, and stockage in the Army publications system is not planned.
- The publication supports equipment that will not be issued to Table of Organization and Equipment (TOE) and Modified Table of Organization and Equipment (MTOE) units and will not be supported by repair parts in the Army supply system.
Unauthenticated manufacturers’ manuals will not be assigned DA publications numbers. They will not be directly changed or modified by an official DA publication. The proponent will be responsible for providing replacement copies of unauthenticated manufacturer’s manuals. The resupply source will be shown on the front cover of the publication.
Authenticated manufacturers’ manuals.
The proponent will acquire and provide manufacturers’ manuals to APD for authentication when—
(1) The publication meets, or can be changed or supplemented to meet, the requirements of MIL–PRF–32216.
(2) Stockage in the Army publication system is required; that is, there is a requirement for more than initial issue.
(3) The publication must accompany equipment issued to TOE and MTOE units.
(4) Equipment is to be supported by repair parts in the Army supply system.
The proponent will acquire or develop changes or supplementary material as specified in MIL–PRF–32216 and integrate this material into the manufacturer’s manual before it is submitted for authentication.
The proponent will obtain a copyright release if the publication contains copyrighted material.
The proponent will obtain either (1) or (2), below.
(1) Two copies of the manufacturer’s manuals, with supplemental data incorporated, and a copyright permission allowing unlimited reproduction and use rights from the manufacturer. The proponent will integrate the authentication page into the manufacturer’s manual.
(2) Electronic final copy or camera-ready copy of the manufacturer’s publication complete with copyright permission allowing unlimited reproduction and use rights from the manufacturer.
The proponent will integrate supplemental data, including the authentication page. Electronic final copy is preferred.
The proponent will use a DA Form 260 to transmit manufacturer’s manuals to APD for authentication, replication, distribution, and stockage. This form will state whether—
(1) The publication is for multi-Service equipment or systems for which the Army has been designated the life-cycle manager.
(2) The publication is to be adopted by the Departments of the Navy or Air Force, or other Federal agencies.
The proponent will acquire publications for NDI equipment using a phased (option) process. Requests for proposals and invitations for bids will contain options for acquisition of manufacturers’ manuals, supplementing or changing manufacturer’s manuals, and preparing DA manuals according to military specifications and standards. Manufacturers’ manuals will be evaluated in accordance with MIL–PRF–32216 to determine which option in the requests for proposals and invitations for bids will be exercised.
Required for: Systems that require equipment publications.
When Required: As soon as practical after program initiation or contract award.
Responsibility: The Army equipment publications proponent at the Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC).
References: AR 25-30, AR 750-1.
