FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 252: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 252.2
DFARS 252.209-7010 Critical Safety Items.
The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.
In plain English
This DFARS clause defines aviation and ship critical safety items and identifies which items under the contract have been designated as such by the design control activity. Those designated items are subject to heightened, risk-based quality assurance surveillance. It matters because contractors supplying these items face closer government oversight of quality.
Applies to: Contractors supplying aviation or ship critical safety items under this contract
Key terms: aviation critical safety item · ship critical safety item · design control activity · heightened quality assurance surveillance · designated quality assurance representative
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
As prescribed in 209.270-5, use the following clause:
Critical Safety Items (AUG 2011)
(a) Definitions.
Aviation critical safety item means a part, an assembly, installation equipment, launch equipment, recovery equipment, or support equipment for an aircraft or aviation weapon system if the part, assembly, or equipment contains a characteristic any failure, malfunction, or absence of which could cause—
(i) A catastrophic or critical failure resulting in the loss of, or serious damage to, the aircraft or weapon system;
(ii) An unacceptable risk of personal injury or loss of life; or
(iii) An uncommanded engine shutdown that jeopardizes safety.
Design control activity. (i) With respect to an aviation critical safety item, means the systems command of a military department that is specifically responsible for ensuring the airworthiness of an aviation system or equipment, in which an aviation critical safety item is to be used; and
(ii) With respect to a ship critical safety item, means the systems command of a military department that is specifically responsible for ensuring the seaworthiness of a ship or ship equipment, in which a ship critical safety item is to be used.
Ship critical safety item means any ship part, assembly, or support equipment containing a characteristic, the failure, malfunction, or absence of which could cause—
(i) A catastrophic or critical failure resulting in loss of, or serious damage to, the ship; or
(ii) An unacceptable risk of personal injury or loss of life.
(b) Identification of critical safety items. One or more of the items being procured under this contract is an aviation or ship critical safety item. The following items have been designated aviation critical safety items or ship critical safety items by the designated design control activity:
(Insert additional lines as necessary)
(c) Heightened quality assurance surveillance. Items designated in paragraph (b) of this clause are subject to heightened, risk-based surveillance by the designated quality assurance representative.
(End of clause)
Sections it refers to
- 209.270-5 Contract clause.
Sections that refer to it
- 209.270-5 Contract clause.
- 215.101-2-70 Limitations and prohibitions.
- 217.7801 Prohibition.
← 252.209-7009 Organizational Conflict of Interest—Major Defense Acquisition Program. · 252.209-7011 Representation for Restriction on the Use of Certain Institutions of Higher Education. →
Rule changes for DFARS Part 252
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Modifications to Printed Circuit Board Acquisition Restrictions (DFARS Case 2022-D011) ↗ · proposed 2026-07-02 · comments due 2026-08-31
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Certification Requirement for Military Recruitment Advertising (DFARS Case 2024-D022) ↗ · proposed 2026-06-25 · comments due 2026-08-24
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Small Purchase Exception for the Acquisition of U.S. Flags (DFARS Case 2024-D013) ↗ · proposed 2026-06-25 · comments due 2026-08-24
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Mitigating Risks Related to Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (DFARS Case 2021-D011) ↗ · proposed 2026-05-07 · comments due 2026-07-06
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Assessing Contractor Implementation of Cybersecurity Requirements (DFARS Case 2019-D041) ↗ · final rule 2025-09-10 · effective 2025-11-10
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Limitation on Certain Institutes of Higher Education (DFARS Case 2024-D023); Correction ↗ · final rule 2025-08-28 · effective 2025-08-28
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Disclosure of DoD Funding in Technical Publications (DFARS Case 2024-D003) ↗ · proposed 2025-08-25 · comments due 2025-10-24
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Limitation on Certain Institutes of Higher Education (DFARS Case 2024-D023) ↗ · final rule 2025-08-25 · effective 2025-08-25
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.