Key takeaways
- Force Technologies has opened a Sovereign Test Lab in Wiltshire: a UK based, UK owned, privately funded facility that counterfeit tests obsolete semiconductors in accordance with AS6171, without parts leaving the country.
- Customers in the UK, Europe and the US asked for a UK alternative after a run of changing tariffs, long timescales and parts going missing in transit on the way to overseas labs.
- The lab tests to AS6171 using optical microscopy, jet etch decapsulation, X-ray, XRF and DC electrical test, with AC and temperature testing to follow.
- Force is going through AS6171 accreditation and working towards ISO/IEC 17025, and expects counterfeit activity to rise as AI, drone and missile makers take a growing share of semiconductor supply.
What is the Sovereign Test Lab?
The Sovereign Test Lab is our own anti-counterfeit testing facility in Wiltshire, built so that aerospace, defence and industrial customers can have obsolete semiconductors checked for counterfeits here in the UK. Sovereign means UK based and UK owned: devices never have to leave the country to be verified, and the capability is not dependent on a lab on another continent. It was privately funded and built by Force, not bought as a service from someone else.
It sits alongside the rest of what we do. Parts can be authenticated in the lab, held in Titan long-term storage, and upscreened before release, all under one roof and one custody record. For the full story of how and why it was built, our CEO Karen Salmon talks it through on Force Tech Talk 25.
Why did we build it?
Because customers asked for it. European and UK customers, and some in the US, had spent a year dealing with changing tariffs, long timescales and the real risk of high-value parts going missing in transit on the way to and from overseas test houses. Sending an obsolete, hard-to-replace component across the Atlantic to be verified, then waiting for it to come back, is slow, expensive and nerve-wracking when the part is irreplaceable.
Sovereignty is the other half of it. For MoD and DE&S programmes with sovereignty requirements, being able to verify parts inside the UK matters. A UK based, UK owned lab removes the overseas dependency and keeps verification, storage and release in one country. Karen had wanted Force to have its own lab for a long time, and when extra units came up on our Wiltshire site just before Christmas we took them, knocked through, laid ESD flooring and brought the test equipment in as lead times allowed.
Why is counterfeit risk rising?
Demand is outrunning supply at the exact point where old parts get scarce. AI, drone and missile manufacturers are taking a growing share of global semiconductor allocation, which shortens last-time-buy windows and pushes more buyers towards the open market for parts that are no longer made. That is where counterfeits get in. We expect counterfeiters to flood the market over the next two to three years, and the target base is widening from commodity chips into hi-rel and long-life devices used in rail, medical and defence.
The defence against that is simple to state. Verify what you buy, and hold authenticated stock so you do not have to re-buy on the open market under time pressure. A UK lab makes the verify step faster and keeps it onshore.
How does the lab test to AS6171?
AS6171 is the aerospace standard for counterfeit detection, and it is a sequence of tests rather than a single check. Depending on the risk level the application demands, a device is worked through a series of non-destructive and destructive techniques until there is enough evidence to say whether it is genuine. The lab currently runs:
| Test | What it checks |
|---|---|
| Optical microscopy | External condition, markings, resurfacing and signs of prior use or re-marking |
| Jet etch decapsulation | Opens the package so the die inside can be inspected against what the label claims |
| X-ray | Internal structure, bond wires and lead frame, without opening the part |
| XRF | Material and finish analysis to flag the wrong metals or coatings |
| DC electrical test | Basic electrical behaviour against the original datasheet |
Where a programme needs more than authentication, parts can be upscreened to MIL-STD-883 before release.
What comes next?
The lab is still being built out. AC and temperature testing are being added to the DC electrical capability, and more equipment is coming in as lead times allow. On accreditation, Force is going through AS6171 accreditation and working towards ISO/IEC 17025. It gets better every day as the line gets busier and we learn more.
How do I get parts tested or arrange a visit?
Tell us the part numbers, the quantities and what the application needs, and we can advise on the right AS6171 level and turn the testing around in the UK. If you would like to see the lab, we are happy to arrange a visit. Force Technologies has supplied, tested, re-manufactured and stored obsolete semiconductors for aerospace, defence, rail and industrial customers since 1986.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sovereign semiconductor test lab?
A UK based, UK owned facility that counterfeit tests semiconductors inside the UK, so parts do not have to be sent overseas for verification. Force Technologies opened its Sovereign Test Lab in Wiltshire in 2026.
What standard does the lab test to?
AS6171, the aerospace standard for counterfeit electronic component detection. Testing uses optical microscopy, jet etch decapsulation, X-ray, XRF and DC electrical test, with AC and temperature testing being added.
Is the lab accredited?
Force is going through AS6171 accreditation and working towards ISO/IEC 17025.
Can I send parts to the UK for counterfeit testing?
Yes. The point of the Sovereign Test Lab is that obsolete and hard-to-replace components can be verified in the UK without being sent abroad, avoiding overseas tariffs, long timescales and the risk of loss in transit.