NATO Logistics Handbook October 1997

Chapter 10: Cooperative Logistics Military Agencies Military Agency for Standardization (MAS) 1019. The MAS is the principal agency of the Military Committee (MC) dealing with standardization. MAS is chaired by the Assistant Director of Logistics, Armaments and Resources Division. It is tasked to increase the combined operational efficiency of the military forces of the Alliance by means of specific agreements in the form of Standardization Agreements (STANAGs) or Allied Publications (APs). Primarily dealing with operational standardization (doctrine, tactics and procedures) the agency also undertakes some materiel and administrative standardization, the most important being the management of the NATO Terminology Programme. MAS is also responsible for promulgating and maintaining the register of all NATO STANAGs and APs in AAP-4. 1020. MAS has four Service Boards (Joint, Naval, Army and Air), which lie at the core of MAS activity and as Tasking Authorities (TAs) are responsible for producing the standardized agreements. Each board has membership from each of the NATO nations except Iceland which has no military forces, and Luxembourg, whose interests are represented by Belgium. Major NATO Commands (MNCs) are represented on the Boards, but are non-voting members. The boards are chaired by an international officer with Chairman MAS chairing the Joint Service Board. Underneath each Board are various Working Parties (WP). These comprise groups of experts volunteered by nations or MNCs to work in a particular subject area. Meeting at NATO HQ at 12-18 month intervals, these experts finalize agreements, discuss new proposals, and review those which already exist to ensure validity. (A list of WPs appears at Annex A) SACLANT Undersea Research Centre 1021. This military centre, established at La Spezia, Italy, provides scientific and technical advice and assistance to SACLANT in the field of anti-submarine warfare, carrying out research and development in this area.