Defense equipment manufacturers commonly confuse two documents that are similar in name but fundamentally different in purpose — Technical Specifications (TS) and Technical Requirements (TR). The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine clarifies: these documents are used at different stages of the defense equipment lifecycle and have different legal and practical significance.
Technical Requirements: What They Are and Where They Come From
Technical Requirements are a regulatory document that establishes the key characteristics and performance indicators a defense equipment sample must meet to be useful to Ukraine's Defense Forces. In simpler terms, they are the "technical brief from the customer": TR answers the question "what must the product be able to do for the military to want to procure it."
Technical Requirements are formulated by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is the ultimate "customer" of defense equipment and defines which characteristics — range, weight, interference resistance, accuracy, survivability — are the minimum acceptable for combat use.
To obtain TR for a specific type of defense equipment, the manufacturer contacts the Central Directorate of Military Education and Science of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
Tel.: (044) 230-74-88
Email: [email protected]
Note: some Technical Requirements have restricted access (classified) or carry secrecy classifications — "secret" or "top secret." Working with such documents requires the manufacturer to have the appropriate clearance.
Technical Specifications: When and Why They Are Developed
Unlike Technical Requirements, Technical Specifications (TS) appear not before, but after the product is created. TS is a document that records the actual characteristics of a specific defense equipment sample that already exists and has passed factory trials.
TS are developed by the manufacturer as part of preparing the document package for codification. They describe the product as it actually is — with its real parameters, operating conditions, components, marking, storage and transportation procedures.
| Technical Requirements (TR) | Technical Specifications (TS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who develops | General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine | Defense equipment manufacturer |
| When used | Before product creation | After product creation |
| Purpose | Define requirements for a future sample | Record actual product characteristics |
| Registration | With the General Staff | With the Ministry of Economy |
| Access | May be restricted or classified | Generally open (outside of classified characteristics) |
The Most Common Manufacturer Mistake
The most frequent mistake is attempting to start developing TS before the product actually exists and has passed trials. TS cannot be "written in advance" — they must reflect the actual characteristics of a real sample, confirmed by trial protocols.
Another common situation: a manufacturer is unfamiliar with the General Staff's Technical Requirements and develops the product "blind," without a reference point for what the military actually needs. This can result in a codified product that finds no demand from the customer due to a mismatch with combat requirements.
The correct sequence of actions: first study the General Staff's Technical Requirements → develop a product that meets them → conduct factory trials → develop TS based on actual characteristics → register TS → submit for codification.
What to Do if a Company Has Lost its Technical Documentation
If a manufacturer has for any reason lost the originals of documents submitted to the MoD during codification (TTX, TPM, acts), it is necessary to contact MD DELSU directly with an official request for copies. This mechanism is provided for in the regulations, but takes some time — which is why it is important to keep originals and backup copies of all documents.