Editing Simplified Technical English (section)

==History==
The first attempts towards controlled English were made as early as the 1930s and 1970s with [[Basic English]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ogden |first=Charles Kay |title=Basic English: A General Introduction with Rules and Grammar |publisher=K. Paul, Trench, Trubner & Company, Limited |year=1932}}</ref> Caterpillar Fundamental English <ref>{{Cite book |last=Caterpillar Tractor Company. |title=Caterpillar Fundamental English |publisher=Peoria, Ill. : Caterpillar Tractor Co. |year=1972}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kaiser |first1=Herbert |title=A Close Look at STE |url=http://www.tcworld.info/e-magazine/technical-communication/article/a-close-look-at-simplified-technical-english/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710201039/http://www.tcworld.info/e-magazine/technical-communication/article/a-close-look-at-simplified-technical-english |archive-date=10 July 2019 |accessdate=20 May 2019 |website=TC World}}</ref> and Eastman Kodak (KISL).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Re: controlled languages/simplified English? |url=http://www.techwr-l.com/archives/0304/techwhirl-0304-01482.html |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=www.techwr-l.com}}</ref> In 1979, aerospace documentation was written in American English ([[Boeing]], Douglas, Lockheed, etc.), in British English ([[Hawker Siddeley]], [[British Aircraft Corporation]], etc.) and by companies whose native language was not English ([[Fokker]], [[Aeritalia]], [[Aerospatiale]], and some of the companies that formed [[Airbus]] at the time).

Because European airlines needed to translate parts of their maintenance documentation into other languages for local mechanics, the European Airline industry approached AECMA (the European Association of Aerospace Industries) to investigate the possibility of using a controlled or standardized form of English, with a strong focus on [[readability]] and comprehensibility. In 1983, after an investigation into the different types of controlled languages that existed in other industries, AECMA decided to produce its own controlled English. The AIA (Aerospace Industries Association of America) was also invited to participate in this project. The result of this collaborative work was the release of the AECMA Document, PSC-85-16598 (known as the AECMA Simplified English Guide) in 1985. Subsequently, several changes, issues and revisions were released up to the present issue (Issue 9)'''.'''

After the merger of AECMA with two other associations to form the [[AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe|Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe]] (ASD) in 2004, the document was renamed ''ASD Simplified Technical English, Specification ASD-STE100''. Thus, STE evolved from Guide to Specification. With Issue 9, it has transitioned to international Standard. This change in designation (the subtitle of the document is Standard for Technical Documentation)  is not just a reclassification, but a significant step that reinforces the global applicability of STE.

ASD-STE100 is maintained by the Simplified Technical English Maintenance Group (STEMG), a working group of ASD, formed in 1983. The copyright of ASD-STE100 is fully owned by ASD.<ref>{{Cite web |title=STEMG Official ASD-STE100 website |url=https://asd-ste100.org/ |website=ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English Maintenance Group}}</ref><ref>Simplified Technical English, ASD-STE100, is a Copyright and a Trade Mark of ASD, Brussels, Belgium. All rights reserved. European Community Trade Mark No. 017966390.</ref>

Due to the ever-evolving nature of technology and technical language, the STEMG also relies on user feedback for suggested changes and updates.<ref>{{Cite web |title=STE Downloads |url=https://asd-ste100.org/STE_downloads.html#features17-y |access-date=2023-11-03 |website=asd-ste100.org}}</ref> Starting from Issue 6 in 2013, the Standard became free of charge. Over the years, 18,981 official copies of Issues 6, 7, and 8 were distributed. Since Issue 9 was released in January 2025, almost 1,000 official copies have been distributed (distribution log updated March 2025). Usually, a new issue is released every three years.

A free official copy of the ASD-STE100 Standard can be requested through the [https://asd-ste100.org/ ASD-STE100 website] and through ASD.