NABL-DGAQA Integrated Assessment 2026: What Defence Aviation Testing Laboratories Need to Prepare
Updated: 13 September 2026
Defence aviation testing sits in a demanding quality environment.
Test results may support decisions about materials, components, assemblies, airworthiness-related evidence, manufacturing quality and supplier acceptance.
That means a laboratory may need to demonstrate more than general technical competence.
It may also need to satisfy sector-specific expectations from the relevant defence aviation quality authority.
NABL's August 2026 announcement is important because it creates a dedicated integrated route for laboratories operating in this sector.
What exactly did NABL announce?
NABL's official News & Announcements page states that NABL and DGAQA jointly initiated an Integrated Assessment Scheme for testing laboratories in the Defence Aviation sector. The announcement was posted on 12 August 2026.
The NABL accreditation-document register also lists:
- NABL 233, "Application form for Integrated Assessment of laboratories in Defence aviation sector & Additional Requirements of DGAQA", Issue 01, dated 11 August 2026.
- NABL 234, "Procedure for Integrated Assessment of laboratories in Defence aviation sector & Additional Requirements of DGAQA", Issue 01, dated 11 August 2026.
These two documents are the most important starting points for any laboratory considering the new scheme.
What is an integrated assessment?
An integrated assessment combines accreditation assessment with additional requirements of a regulator or sector authority within a coordinated assessment framework.
The concept is not the same as ordinary ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation alone.
ISO/IEC 17025 addresses the competence, impartiality and consistent operation of testing and calibration laboratories.
Under an integrated scheme, the laboratory may also need to demonstrate conformity with additional requirements specified by the relevant regulatory or sector body.
| Assessment layer | Main focus |
|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 17025 / NABL accreditation | Laboratory competence, impartiality, consistent operation, methods, equipment, traceability, personnel and validity of results. |
| DGAQA additional requirements | Defence-aviation-sector requirements applicable under the integrated assessment scheme. |
| Integrated assessment process | Coordinated evaluation of the laboratory against the applicable accreditation and sector-specific requirements. |
Why create a defence-aviation-specific scheme?
Defence aviation has risks that are different from many general industrial testing activities.
A test result may influence:
- material acceptance;
- supplier approval;
- component qualification;
- manufacturing release;
- failure investigation;
- quality assurance decisions;
- continued use or rejection of critical items.
A sector-specific integrated scheme can allow laboratory competence requirements and defence-quality expectations to be assessed in a more coordinated way.
Who should pay attention to this scheme?
The scheme is explicitly described by NABL as being for testing laboratories in the Defence Aviation sector.
Laboratories potentially affected may include organisations supporting defence aviation manufacturers, suppliers, maintenance or quality-assurance activities.
The exact eligibility should be checked in the current NABL 233 and NABL 234 documents.
A laboratory should not assume that every aerospace or aviation laboratory automatically falls under this particular scheme.
Testing laboratory vs calibration laboratory
This distinction is important for Multitek readers.
NABL's announcement specifically refers to testing laboratories in the Defence Aviation sector.
Calibration laboratories and testing laboratories can both be accredited under ISO/IEC 17025, but their activities are different.
| Laboratory type | Typical role |
|---|---|
| Testing laboratory | Determines characteristics or performance of materials, products, components or systems using defined test methods. |
| Calibration laboratory | Establishes measurement relationships between instruments or measuring systems and suitable reference standards. |
The 2026 DGAQA integrated scheme should therefore not be described as a general new calibration-laboratory scheme unless the official scope is expanded or clarified by NABL.
Why ISO/IEC 17025 still matters
NABL identifies testing and calibration laboratory accreditation against ISO/IEC 17025.
For a defence-aviation testing laboratory, the foundation therefore remains technical competence.
Important laboratory controls typically include:
- competent personnel;
- suitable test methods;
- validated or verified methods where required;
- controlled equipment;
- metrological traceability where applicable;
- measurement uncertainty where relevant;
- controlled environmental conditions;
- quality assurance of results;
- technically valid reporting;
- control of data and information systems.
DGAQA additional requirements sit on top of, or alongside, that laboratory-competence framework.
What should a laboratory prepare before applying?
The correct preparation should start with the current official documents rather than a generic accreditation checklist.
- Obtain the current NABL 233 application form.
- Obtain and study the current NABL 234 procedure.
- Confirm that the laboratory is eligible for the defence-aviation integrated scheme.
- Define the exact test scope to be covered.
- Map each proposed test to the applicable method and technical capability.
- Identify DGAQA additional requirements relevant to the laboratory.
- Check personnel competence and authorization.
- Review equipment calibration and traceability.
- Review environmental controls.
- Review method validation or verification records.
- Review quality-control and proficiency evidence where applicable.
- Check report formats and approval controls.
- Review data integrity and laboratory information systems.
- Plan internal review before formal application.
Why scope definition is critical
A defence-aviation laboratory may perform many different types of tests.
Examples could include mechanical, metallurgical, chemical, environmental, electrical or non-destructive testing depending on the laboratory.
Accreditation is not simply a statement that the organisation is "approved."
The relevant question is:
Which specific tests, methods, materials, ranges and capabilities are included in the approved scope?
A laboratory should therefore build its application around real demonstrated capability rather than an overly broad wish list.
Metallurgical testing can be especially relevant
Defence aviation components rely on controlled materials and manufacturing processes.
Depending on the laboratory and product, metallurgical testing may involve:
- hardness;
- microstructure examination;
- tensile properties;
- coating or case-depth assessment;
- fracture investigation;
- material identification;
- weld evaluation.
Each method needs its own competence, equipment, reference materials, calibration and quality controls.
A generic laboratory quality manual does not prove competence for every metallurgical test.
Why equipment calibration still matters in a testing scheme
Testing results depend on measuring equipment.
A tensile test can depend on force, extension and dimensional measurements. A hardness test depends on force application, indenter geometry and measurement of the resulting impression or depth, depending on the method. Environmental tests may depend on temperature, humidity, pressure or vibration measurements.
The laboratory therefore needs to know:
- which equipment affects the validity of each test;
- what calibration or verification is required;
- what traceability is needed;
- how intermediate checks are performed;
- what happens when equipment is found out of tolerance.
Integrated assessment does not make these measurement controls less important.
What should laboratories do about out-of-tolerance equipment?
A failed calibration is not only an equipment-maintenance issue.
The laboratory may need to evaluate whether previous test results were affected.
A technically sound investigation can ask:
- What function of the equipment failed?
- How large was the error?
- When could the error have started?
- Which tests used the affected equipment?
- Could the error change conformity or acceptance decisions?
- What customers or authorities need to be informed if impact is confirmed?
High-consequence sectors make this historical-impact review particularly important.
Why method control matters in defence aviation
A laboratory may use international standards, national standards, customer specifications, defence specifications or internally developed methods.
Whatever the source, the laboratory should ensure that the method in use is:
- current;
- authorized;
- understood by the personnel performing the test;
- verified or validated as required;
- supported by suitable equipment;
- applied within its demonstrated capability.
Using the correct document number but the wrong revision can create a technically invalid result.
Personnel competence is more than training attendance
A training certificate proves that someone attended training.
It does not by itself prove competence to perform and interpret a critical defence-aviation test.
Competence evidence can include:
- education and technical background;
- method-specific training;
- supervised practical work;
- demonstration of test performance;
- review of calculation and reporting ability;
- formal authorization;
- ongoing monitoring.
Data integrity is part of laboratory competence
Modern laboratories may use digital test equipment, spreadsheets, LIMS, automated calculations and electronic reports.
The laboratory should understand where data can be changed, copied, overwritten or misinterpreted.
Important controls may include:
- user access;
- software validation;
- calculation verification;
- audit trails;
- backup and recovery;
- controlled report templates;
- protection of raw data.
Defence-sector testing makes traceable and reconstructable records particularly important.
What is different about an integrated assessment?
The important practical difference is that the laboratory should not prepare only for a generic ISO/IEC 17025 assessment.
It should prepare for the specific integrated process described in NABL 234 and the DGAQA additional requirements included in the scheme.
This affects how the laboratory should conduct its gap analysis.
| Weak preparation | Better preparation |
|---|---|
| Check only ISO/IEC 17025 clauses | Map ISO/IEC 17025 plus every applicable DGAQA additional requirement |
| Use a generic NABL application checklist | Use NABL 233 and NABL 234 for this scheme |
| Apply for a broad scope without evidence | Link each requested test to personnel, method, equipment and quality-control evidence |
| Focus only on documents | Check actual implementation and technical records |
Should an already NABL-accredited lab assume it automatically qualifies?
No.
Existing ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation may provide a strong foundation, but the new defence-aviation integrated scheme contains additional DGAQA requirements and a dedicated procedure.
An already accredited laboratory should still perform a scheme-specific gap review.
It should also confirm how existing accreditation status interacts with the integrated-assessment application and transition process using NABL's current instructions.
What about laboratories already serving defence customers?
Existing commercial or contractual work does not by itself prove eligibility or approval under the new integrated scheme.
The laboratory should separate:
- current customer approval;
- current NABL accreditation;
- DGAQA-related approval or recognition;
- status under the new integrated scheme.
These may overlap, but they should not be treated as interchangeable unless the official scheme says so.
What should customers and defence suppliers verify?
A manufacturer or supplier using an external laboratory should verify more than the laboratory's brand name.
- Confirm the laboratory's current NABL status.
- Check the current scope of accreditation.
- Confirm that the required test method is within scope.
- Where the new defence-aviation integrated scheme is contractually required, verify the laboratory's current status under that scheme.
- Check the laboratory location covered by the approval.
- Confirm any customer or programme-specific requirements.
How should a laboratory conduct a gap analysis?
A useful gap analysis should connect requirements to evidence.
Create a matrix with columns such as:
| Requirement | Current evidence | Gap | Action | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 17025 requirement | Procedure, record or technical evidence | Missing or weak implementation | Corrective action | Responsible person |
| DGAQA additional requirement | Current sector-specific control | Requirement not fully addressed | Implement and verify | Responsible person |
This is more useful than writing "complied" beside every clause without showing where the evidence exists.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Calling the scheme a general aerospace accreditation scheme when NABL specifically states defence aviation testing laboratories.
- Assuming ordinary ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation automatically satisfies DGAQA additional requirements.
- Using an old or generic integrated-assessment form instead of NABL 233.
- Preparing against a generic NABL procedure instead of NABL 234.
- Requesting a test scope that is wider than the laboratory's demonstrated capability.
- Ignoring calibration and traceability of test equipment.
- Relying on training certificates instead of competence evidence.
- Failing to validate spreadsheets or software that calculate test results.
- Treating documentation as a substitute for technical implementation.
A practical readiness sequence
- Confirm eligibility. Use NABL 233 and NABL 234.
- Define scope. List only tests the laboratory can support technically.
- Map requirements. Separate ISO/IEC 17025 and DGAQA additional requirements.
- Check personnel. Confirm competence and authorization for each method.
- Check equipment. Review calibration, traceability and intermediate checks.
- Check methods. Confirm revisions, verification and validation.
- Check records. Ensure results can be reconstructed from raw data to final report.
- Run an internal assessment. Test the real system, not only the quality manual.
- Close gaps. Record evidence before formal application.
- Verify current NABL instructions. Check for amendments before submission.
Why this scheme matters beyond accreditation
Integrated assessment can push laboratories to connect technical competence with sector-specific quality assurance more directly.
That is useful in defence aviation because the final question is not whether a laboratory has a complete set of documents.
The final question is whether the laboratory can produce technically reliable evidence for decisions made in a high-consequence supply chain.
The strongest laboratories will therefore treat the new scheme as a technical capability exercise rather than a documentation exercise.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NABL-DGAQA Integrated Assessment Scheme?
It is a jointly initiated integrated assessment scheme announced by NABL for testing laboratories in the Defence Aviation sector. It combines the applicable NABL laboratory-accreditation framework with additional DGAQA requirements under a dedicated procedure.
When was the defence aviation integrated scheme announced?
NABL posted the announcement on 12 August 2026. NABL 233 and NABL 234 are both listed with an issue date of 11 August 2026.
What is NABL 233?
NABL 233 is the application form for integrated assessment of laboratories in the Defence Aviation sector together with the additional requirements of DGAQA.
What is NABL 234?
NABL 234 is the procedure for integrated assessment of laboratories in the Defence Aviation sector and the additional requirements of DGAQA.
Is this scheme for calibration laboratories?
NABL's August 2026 public announcement specifically describes the scheme as being for testing laboratories in the Defence Aviation sector. Calibration laboratories should not assume the scheme applies to them unless official NABL or DGAQA documentation explicitly includes their activity.
Does existing ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation automatically satisfy the scheme?
Not automatically. The scheme includes DGAQA additional requirements and a dedicated integrated-assessment procedure, so an already accredited laboratory should conduct a scheme-specific gap review.
Sources checked
- NABL: News & Announcements . The page lists the joint NABL-DGAQA Integrated Assessment Scheme for testing laboratories in the Defence Aviation sector, posted 12 August 2026.
- NABL: Accreditation Documents register . The register lists NABL 233 and NABL 234, both Issue 01 dated 11 August 2026.
- NABL: Accreditation overview . NABL identifies testing and calibration laboratory accreditation against ISO/IEC 17025.
Editorial note: This article explains public NABL information available as of 13 September 2026. It does not replace NABL 233, NABL 234, DGAQA requirements, contractual defence-quality requirements or any current official scheme instructions. Laboratories should check the latest controlled documents before applying or changing their assessment process.
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