India become full member of NATO logistics committee
Full membership allows data exchange with NATO Codification System

India has become a full member of Tier 2 of the Allied Committee 135 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which allows for the two-way sharing of information under the NATO classification of logistical items.

This is being seen as a logical corollary to the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) concluded between India and the U.S. in 2016 and will enable India’s armed forces to utilise the common codification system for logistical items with the armed forces of NATO countries, as well as those of other countries allied to the system, effective from February 01, 2019.

According to NATO, “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.”

Tier 2 ‘Nations have a Codification System that has been certified as being fully compliant with the NCS procedures. Tier 2 sponsorship is characterized by a two-way data exchange and participation in technical NCS management’. There are 16 other non-NATO countries in Tier 2 of the AC 135 committee, besides India.

While Tier 1 benefits of membership include ‘Immediate assignment of the necessary nation codes to start using or to develop a national codification system’, ‘Access to some 18 Million NATO Stock Numbers and related information’ and ‘Possibility to add your own data into the consolidated NATO set of data products’, Tier 2 grants full membership of the NCS community, ‘Two-way data exchange with NATO and sponsored nations’ and ‘Participation in meetings of AC/135’s Panel A on technical Codification matters’.