A Mobile-based engineering and manufacturing company has cleared one of the toughest cybersecurity hurdles in the federal contracting world, positioning itself for a larger role in the nation’s defense supply chain. AAA USA, Inc., headquartered in Mobile, Alabama, announced it has achieved Department of War Level II Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) after successfully completing an audit conducted by a Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization, known as a C3PAO.
The certification is more than a bureaucratic checkbox. CMMC Level II is a rigorous framework the federal government uses to verify that companies handling sensitive, unclassified defense information have the technical safeguards in place to protect it from cyber threats.
What the Certification Means for AAA USA’s Business
With CMMC Level II now in hand, AAA USA can pursue a wider range of contracting opportunities, both as a subcontractor supporting larger defense companies and as a prime contractor bidding directly on qualifying government programs.
Perry C. Rucker, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of AAA USA, said the certification strengthens the company’s standing with the agencies and prime contractors it works alongside. “This reinforces our position in supporting critical defense and government programs,” Rucker said, adding that the milestone “underscores our ability to provide secure engineering and manufacturing capabilities while supporting complex programs throughout their entire lifecycle.”
A Locally Rooted Company with a National Footprint
Though its corporate headquarters sits in Mobile, AAA USA’s reach extends far beyond the Gulf Coast. The company employs roughly 350 to 400 workers spread across 28 cities in 19 states, providing engineering, manufacturing, testing, quality assurance, and aftermarket support services that cover the full lifecycle of a product, from initial design through long-term field support.
Its core markets include aerospace, defense, ground transportation, and marine sectors, industries where precision, regulatory compliance, and now, robust cybersecurity, are prerequisites for doing business with the federal government.
Backed by an International Joint Venture
AAA USA operates as a joint venture between DRAKKAR Group and Daher Group, two established industrial organizations that pool resources, technical expertise, and workforce experience to support the company’s operations.
Why Cybersecurity Certification Has Become a Defense Contracting Requirement
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program was established to address growing concern within the Department of War, formerly known as the Department of Defense, over the vulnerability of the defense supply chain to cyberattacks and data breaches. Contractors and subcontractors that handle Controlled Unclassified Information are increasingly required to prove, through independent third-party audits rather than self-attestation, that their systems meet defined security standards before they can compete for or continue performing certain contracts.
Level II certification is built on the 110 security requirements in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Special Publication 800-171, which covers areas such as access control, incident response and the protection of stored and transmitted data. The rule establishing the CMMC program took effect in December 2024, and the requirement began appearing in new defense contracts in November 2025 under a phased rollout that expands over several years.
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