The MIL-STD-810 (United States Military Standards) is a technical US military standard that is also applied by NATO and the Bundeswehr. MIL-STD-810 defines the environmental testing conditions for military equipment. The standard specifies tests for the compatibility of devices, equipment and systems regarding such aspects as exposure to extreme temperatures and air pressures (altitude) during operation and storage, rain and humidity, contamination by fluids, fungal infestation (fungus), salt fog, sand and dust, solar radiation (sunshine), as well as immersion, vibration and shock. The tests are carried out under laboratory conditions and simulate conditions that could possibly arise in theory and not necessarily the environmental conditions that will actually arise in practice.
The testing methods are used to simulate and verify the duration and level of stress caused by the environmental conditions in the life cycles of the devices. The equipment’s performance when exposed to environmental stresses over its life cycle is also evaluated. This is done by identifying weak points, deficiencies and defects in design, the materials used, as well as the processing and maintenance of the devices.
For this purpose, the standard provides planning and design instructions for military procurement programmes to factor in the influences that environmental impacts have on the equipment in all stages of its service life.