diff --git a/Fw/Types/StringUtils.cpp b/Fw/Types/StringUtils.cpp
index 714b9d4a05..7901ce390b 100644
--- a/Fw/Types/StringUtils.cpp
+++ b/Fw/Types/StringUtils.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <Fw/Types/Assert.hpp>
 #include <cstring>
 #include <limits>
+#include <Fw/Types/ExternalString.hpp>
 
 char* Fw::StringUtils::string_copy(char* destination, const char* source, FwSizeType num) {
     // Handle self-copy and 0 bytes copy
@@ -72,3 +73,10 @@ FwSignedSizeType Fw::StringUtils::substring_find(const CHAR* source_string,
     // if we make it here, no matches were found
     return -1;
 }
+
+void Fw::StringUtils::format(CHAR* destination, Fw::StringBase::SizeType size, const CHAR* format, ...) {
+    va_list args;
+    va_start(args, format);
+    Fw::ExternalString(destination,  size).vformat(format, args);
+    va_end(args);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Fw/Types/StringUtils.hpp b/Fw/Types/StringUtils.hpp
index 5213dba8a7..ab05210e1a 100644
--- a/Fw/Types/StringUtils.hpp
+++ b/Fw/Types/StringUtils.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef FW_STRINGUTILS_HPP
 #define FW_STRINGUTILS_HPP
 #include <FpConfig.hpp>
+#include <Fw/Types/StringBase.hpp>
 
 namespace Fw {
 namespace StringUtils {
@@ -44,6 +45,21 @@ FwSizeType string_length(const CHAR* source, FwSizeType buffer_size);
  */
 FwSignedSizeType substring_find(const CHAR* source_string, FwSizeType source_size, const CHAR* sub_string, FwSizeType sub_size);
 
+//! \brief format a string and store into a destination buffer
+//!
+//! This function will format a string into a destination buffer. The destination buffer must be large enough to hold
+//! the formatted string. The format delegates to the standard C library function vsnprintf underneath the hood.
+//!
+//! \warning if used in execution (i.e. a file path), assert FW_USE_PRINTF_FAMILY_FUNCTIONS_IN_STRING_FORMATTING.
+//!          ```
+//!          static_assert(FW_USE_PRINTF_FAMILY_FUNCTIONS_IN_STRING_FORMATTING, "String formatting disabled")
+//!          ```
+//! \param destination: destination buffer to hold formatted string
+//! \param size: size of the destination buffer. Output will be truncated to this length
+//! \param format: constant format string
+//! \param ...: variable arguments to to pass to the format string
+void format(CHAR* destination, StringBase::SizeType size, const CHAR* format, ...);
+
 enum StringToNumberStatus {
     SUCCESSFUL_CONVERSION, //!< Output should be valid
     NULL_INPUT,     //!< A null string was supplied
diff --git a/Utils/CRCChecker.cpp b/Utils/CRCChecker.cpp
index 5872c7a952..705477b4df 100644
--- a/Utils/CRCChecker.cpp
+++ b/Utils/CRCChecker.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 #include <Os/File.hpp>
 #include <Os/FileSystem.hpp>
 #include <Utils/Hash/Hash.hpp>
-#include <Fw/Types/ExternalString.hpp>
 #include <Fw/Types/StringUtils.hpp>
 
 namespace Utils {
@@ -91,7 +90,7 @@ namespace Utils {
 
     // open checksum file
     FW_ASSERT(CRC_MAX_FILENAME_SIZE > (Fw::StringUtils::string_length(fname, CRC_MAX_FILENAME_SIZE) +  sizeof HASH_EXTENSION_STRING));
-    Fw::ExternalString(hashFilename,  CRC_MAX_FILENAME_SIZE).format("%s%s", fname, HASH_EXTENSION_STRING);
+    Fw::StringUtils::format(hashFilename, CRC_MAX_FILENAME_SIZE, "%s%s", fname, HASH_EXTENSION_STRING);
 
     stat = f.open(hashFilename, Os::File::OPEN_WRITE);
     if(stat != Os::File::OP_OK)
@@ -121,7 +120,7 @@ namespace Utils {
       FW_ASSERT(fname != nullptr);
       // open checksum file
       FW_ASSERT(CRC_MAX_FILENAME_SIZE > (Fw::StringUtils::string_length(fname, CRC_MAX_FILENAME_SIZE) + sizeof HASH_EXTENSION_STRING));
-      Fw::ExternalString(hashFilename,  CRC_MAX_FILENAME_SIZE).format("%s%s", fname, HASH_EXTENSION_STRING);
+      Fw::StringUtils::format(hashFilename,  CRC_MAX_FILENAME_SIZE, "%s%s", fname, HASH_EXTENSION_STRING);
 
       stat = f.open(hashFilename, Os::File::OPEN_READ);
       if(stat != Os::File::OP_OK)