The mil/aero industry is experiencing an increasing demand for COTS DO-254 safety critical solutions. Trends such as the digitization of cockpits, commercial technology complexity, and the use of common avionics subsystems in military and commercial aircraft have solidified the need for DO-254 compliance in military platforms. DO-254 certification was traditionally achieved using costly custom built systems; however, cost-effective COTS modules are now becoming the hardware of choice to reduce the applicant’s risk, time to market, and budget concerns while meeting stringent certification requirements. We will discuss the benefits and concerns of implementing COTS modules for DO-254 certification.