NATO Codification System

The NATO Codification System (NCS for short) is a Standardization Agreement approach to identify, classify and number items of supply. This is applicable to items that are repetitively used and stocked (e.g., repair parts, equipment, food items, etc.). The System has been agreed by all signatories of the NATO and sponsored non-NATO nations for use in identifying equipment and supplies. The result is a unique identification and a data set that can be easily shared and understood by a wide range of users. The data set may be shared in the form of printed catalogs, on line systems, electronic data exchange, etc. Users include logisticians and manufacturers.