NATO Logistics Handbook October 1997

Chapter 9: Production Logistics Introduction 901. Unlike consumer logistics, which is concerned with providing direct logistic support to military forces, production logistics largely belongs to the industrial domain. The Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) has the main responsibility for NATO armaments cooperation, but other committees and bodies are also involved in armaments-related cooperation within the Alliance. The Defence Support (DS) Division of the International Staff (IS) is the main authority taking care of production logistics matters at NATO Headquarters. 902. Responsibility for equipping and maintaining military forces rests with the member nations of NATO. In most cases research, development and production of equipment is organized by each country in accordance with its national requirements and its commitments to NATO. However, since the establishment of the Alliance, extensive coordination and cooperation in the field of armaments has taken place within NATO. Armaments cooperation remains an important means of achieving the crucial political, military and resource advantages of collective defence. 903. Nevertheless, armaments cooperation, like any other area of collective Alliance endeavour, depends upon political will, and no NATO policies nor procedures can possibly substitute for a political will and sustained commitment to explore ways to reconcile national interests with the goals of the Alliance as a whole.