In plain terms. AFARS is the Army's own layer of acquisition rules that sits on top of the FAR and DFARS. It guides how Army contracting offices run procurements.
Who it applies to. Contractors selling to the U.S. Army.
What it requires. Meet the FAR and DFARS first, then any Army-specific terms AFARS adds. Because the work is Department of Defense work, contracts here generally carry the core DFARS cyber clause 252.204-7012 — protect covered defense information to NIST SP 800-171 and report cyber incidents to DoD within 72 hours — plus CMMC requirements as they phase in.
Why it matters. AFARS tailors defense rules to the Army, but the heavyweight cybersecurity obligations come through the underlying DFARS clauses your Army contract carries.
Citation. AFARS, the Army Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), codified in the FAR System at Title 48 of the C.F.R.