When it is established that an Item of Supply is unique, its identity is fixed through the assignment of its own NATO Stock Number (NSN). NSNs are issued by National Codification Bureaus (NCBs).
The NSN is a 13 digit number and is divided into 3 parts:
In each country, the National Codification Bureau (NCB) is the central point of contact for getting items codified.
This Web site contains the points of contact for each of the NATO National Codification Bureaus and for the NCBs of sponsored nations, which have a special relationship with the NATO countries in matters of codification.
Contact the National Codification Bureau (NCB) of your country. A special procedure for assignment of NSNs on an emergency basis allows NSNs to be assigned in as little as 24 hours.
The standard time frame for requests for codification of items is 60 days. However, AC/135 has developed accelerated and emergency procedures for customers that need faster NSN assignments. Contact your National Codification Bureau (NCB) for details. Normally, NSNs are assigned early enough in the logistics process so that codification does not hamper logistics operations in any way.
The NATO Master Catalogue of References for Logistics (NMCRL) online and offline contains information about all of the NSNs used by the NATO countries and sponsored countries. You will find extensive information about it, including pricing and ordering information, on the NMCRL Website.
The forces of all of the NATO countries and the non-NATO countries that participate in the NATO Codification System (NCS). Some items of supply are used by only one country, while others are used by many countries. Some items of supply are used by 15 or more countries. NSNs are used through the life cycle of items of supply, from procurement through disposal and by all levels of the armed forces. In many countries, NSNs are also used by the civilian sector of government.
The amount of technical information available to you depends on what information you are authorized to have. Anyone can obtain basic information about items of supply from the NMCRL. If you require more detailed technical information, contact your National Codification Bureau (NCB). Access to some item of supply information is restricted because it is proprietary or for national security reasons.
By subscribing to NMCRL or by contacting the NCB in your country.
Every part number listed on NSNs in the NCS is accompanied by a NATO Commercial and Governmental Entity (NCAGE) code. These five character codes identify exactly who the manufacturer or other organization is. With one mouse click, users of NMCRL can easily obtain the name and address and other details associated with NCAGE codes. NCAGE code information is also available from national databases.
Contact the National Codification Bureau of your country.
In this case you would contact the UK National Codification Bureau (NCB) and they would handle it using a simple electronic transaction. The NCB of each country is responsible for handling all codification matters.
You would contact the National Codification Bureau (NCB) in your country, and they would handle it.
Both adding users and adding part numbers to NSNs adds value to NCS data. Adding users helps promote interoperability between countries. Adding reference numbers helps ensure readiness by maximizing the number of available suppliers and lowers costs by promoting competition among suppliers.
Technical data helps codifiers write full item descriptions. These descriptions in turn help users of the NCS determine if items of supply meet their requirements. Full descriptions also help promote efficiency by providing the information needed for item reduction studies and other rationalization projects.
The NCS is governed by the NATO Allies collectively through NATO Allied Committee 135, known as AC/135. AC/135 is officially recognized by NATO headquarters as the governing authority for all codification matters within NATO. AC/135 has regular meetings to manage the NCS and to ensure that the NCS changes to meet the changing needs of its customers. AC/135's business is managed administratively by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), located in Capellen, Luxembourg.
Yes, and a large number of countries around the world do use it. In fact, there are now more non-NATO countries using the NCS than there are NATO countries. AC/135 has a sponsorship programme through which non-NATO countries can establish an official relationship within the NCS and participate in some AC/135 meetings. Non-NATO countries that may wish to become sponsored members of AC/135 should contact NSPA
NATO codification is a government to government function. Normally, the only role contractors play is to provide technical documentation or part number verification to the NCB of the country assigning the NSNs. An example of how the process can work is as follows: Let's say a U.S. company has a contract to sell a system to the Italian Air Force. The Italian Air Force should work with the Italian National Codification Bureau to ensure that codification of the spare parts for the system takes place. That process may include the Italian Air Force providing tech data to the Italian NCB that it has obtained from the U.S. company. The Italian NCB will take care of contacting the U.S. NCB for assignment of NSNs and will forward any tech data it has obtained from the Italian Air Force to the U.S. NCB to assist item identification and NSN assignment. In any case, though, NATO NCBs assign NSNs, not the contractors who sell systems and spare parts.