The S1000D documentation specification is making inroads into military manuals, according to reports. The electronic standard from the Technical Publications Specification Maintenance Group is already widespread in Europe, but is now popping up in some U.S. defense projects, including the Global Hawk UAV and the F-117A stealth fighter.
Proponents say the method for documenting and tracking projects – around since the 1980s – could become a DoD standard. The Joint Strike Fighter program has been exploiting the specification, as have several component projects, such as a conversion project for F-18 engines.
Current specification standards are very fragmented, despite past efforts to comprehensively reign them in, partly due to different types of weapons systems finding different standards most relevant, and partly due to ubiquitous service rivalries.