Research objectives and hypothesis/research questions:
The research hypothesis was formulated as follows: effective risk management requires an integrated approach that takes into account the specifics of the defence industry, NATO normative regulations (AQAP), and building trust-based relationships between process participants.

Research methods:
Qualitative methods were applied, including analysis of normative documents, case analysis, and literature studies.

Main results:
The results indicate that the main dilemmas include: selecting the appropriate level of quality requirements (AQAP 2110 vs. AQAP 2131), the disproportion between design time and the dynamics of changing operational needs, and insufficient competencies of personnel involved in the implementation process. The conclusions confirm the research hypothesis, pointing to the necessity of implementing a systemic approach to risk management covering the entire life cycle of a military vehicle. The research conducted enabled a positive verification of the research hypothesis. Effective risk management in the ME implementation process indeed requires an integrated approach that takes into account the specifics of the defence industry, NATO normative regulations, and the development of trust-based relationships.

Implications for theory and practice:
In response to the research questions, the following conclusions were formulated. First, each of the implementation process parties – the user, the manufacturer, and the research institute – bears differentiated types of risk, with the greatest safety-loss risk falling on the direct user. Second, the main dilemma concerns balancing oversight costs against the level of acceptable risk – applying AQAP 2131 instead of AQAP 2110 reduces current costs but generates potentially far higher costs and hazards in the operational phase. Third, risk minimisation requires a combination of formal, technical, and relational instruments, encompassing trust-building, appropriate contracts, evaluation and testing (OiB), terminology standardisation, and an adequate research process.