National Defense Industry Association statement of defense industry ethics.

• Position: News

Preamble

NDIA Member Companies should adhere to the highest ethical standards and seek to place the defense industry at the forefront of business ethics in America. At a minimum, NDIA members must adhere to applicable laws and regulations governing the conduct of their business. Moreover, entrusted to our care are the lives of Armed Forces Personnel who bear the ultimate risk for their Country to provide security to their fellow citizens. Thus, our common ethical mandate is a higher imperative than our individual business interests. This statement of ethics is intended to rapture that mandate by setting forth common ethical principles and emphasizing particular practices that NDIA members may use to put those principles into action.

Mission

NDIA shall serve in a leadership role in setting high ethical standards for the industry and communicating industry efforts in this area to the public and government officials. NDIA will work with its membership to facilitate the practices set forth below.

Common Ethical Principles and Practices for NDIA Membership

NDIA members should aspire to the following ethical principles and make every effort to implement the following practices:

* Advance national security by promoting trust among the Defense Industry, our government customers, the U.S. public and our men and women in uniform.

* Strengthen the integrity of a federal procurement system that encourages competition, rewards technical innovation and ensures that American fighters have the decisive advantage on the battlefield and wherever else our nation's enemies may be found.

* Operate our businesses from a foundation of ethical readiness where economic pursuits do not overtake our responsibility to our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen, while acknowledging that America's technological and military preeminence are sustained by promoting the financial health of the defense sector.

* Contribute to the common good of our industry and promote industry ethics whenever and wherever possible by sharing best practices in ethics and business conduct among NDIA members and including ethics training in ND1A sponsored events.

* Implement effective ethics programs for company activities at home or abroad. When contemplating any international sale to a governmental or quasi-governmental buyer, it is imperative that effective measures be undertaken to ensure full compliance, not only with the letter, but also the spirit of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, as...