NATO Codification System

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The North Atlantic Council (NAC) on the 5 December 1957, recognised the importance of codification as a key tool in the effective management of military logistics and established the NATO Codification System to enable unambiguous international logistics communication.

The NCS defines unique NATO Stock Numbers (NSN) for resources, based on the principle of “one item – one number” and enables the efficient use of resources and interoperable capabilities for the needs of national and multinational logistics management systems.

The purpose of the NCS is to provide members of the armed forces with the right assets, at the right time, in the right place in order to successfully carry out the assigned tasks.

The NATO Codification System is managed and run by a NATO Cadre Group consisting of the National Directors on Codification Allied Committee 135 (AC/135). This group, which is under the authority of the Conference of National Armament Directors (CNAD), is committed to increased effectiveness and efficiency of global logistics systems and operations for participating nations and to provide the bridge necessary to facilitate global logistics operations. The NCS is regulated by the provisions of the AC/135 Codification Manual (ACodP-1).

The Republic of Croatia has started with limited but continuous application of the NCS since the establishment of the National Codification Bureau in 2002. However, since 2009, with the accession of the Croatia to NATO, the NCS has gradually became the dominant codification framework compared to previous solutions. The culmination of the NCS integration process into the National Codification System was reached in 2020, when the Ordinance on the Codification of Weapons and Military Equipment (unofficial translation) was adopted.

On the basis of the aforementioned Ordinance, the NSN is awarded with the material resources of the Ministry of Defense and the Croatian Armed Forces in accordance with the rules and procedures of the NCS. It is used in its unchanged form during its acceptance, as a national codification designation, in the logistics information system and material records of the Ministry of Defense and the Croatian Armed Forces.

NATO Stock Number (NSN)

NATO Codification Designation, more precisely, NATO Stock Number (NSN) is a unique 13 digit Item of Supply identification number.

The NSN consists of three identifying parts:

  • a 4-digit NATO Supply Classification Code (NSC), also known as “Group and Class” that categorizes the Item,
  • a 2-digit Nation Code (NC) stating the country of origin,
  • a 7-digit Item Identification Number (IIN), Together, the NC and IIN form the NATO Item Identification Number (NIIN).