2023/10/31
The Ministry of National Defense issues a press release explaining that "the TAF certification mark was not found in the helmet and bunter plate appraisal report" (October 31, 2023)
Press release of the Ministry of National Defense
Time: October 31, 2023 at 11:00
In response to media reports that "the TAF certification mark was not found in the helmet and bunter plate appraisal report", the Ministry of National Defense (MND) stated today (31st) that the 205th Factory of Armament Bureau, working according to the operational needs of Army in 2016, had referred to the testing standards of the US National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and completed the development, manufacturing, and evaluation of personal combat gear and equipment. Such gear passed the tests of the US Chesapeake Laboratory on June 2, 2017, and were put into mass-production until this very date with quality compliance aligned with specifications.
The MND pointed out that the Specification Inspection and Testing Center is a professional unit of accreditation and testing of the Armed Forces for military products, and is responsible for performing factory inspections and testing of standard artillery and ammunition used by the Armed Forces, protective equipment testing, and material appraisal of military supplies, among other things. To demonstrate that the quality of personal combat gear and equipment complies with international standards, the Center applied for certification from the National Accreditation Foundation (TAF) in September 2017, and was officially awarded the certification on March 29, 2018.
The MND explained that any organization can choose to place a certification mark on the report based on TAF protocols without impacting test results. The Testing Center in fact only started adopting the TAF mark in October 2018. Hence, media reports stating that some combat gear and equipment failed to pass certification are not true.