The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) administers the Federal Catalog System (FCS) under the direction of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Installations and Logistics). The FCS encompasses the naming, description, classification, and numbering of all items carried under centralized inventory control by the DOD and the civilian agencies of the Federal

Government, as well as the publication of related identification data.

Only one identification may be used for each item for all supply functions from purchase to final disposal. The FCS is also used by North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries.

Federal Supply Classification System

The Federal Supply Classification (FSC) System is designed to permit the classification of all items of supply used by the Federal Government. Each item is classified in one, and only one, four-digit class. The first two digits denote the group or major category of commodities. The last two digits denote the class or the subdivision within a group. The groups cover a broad range of categories and are further broken down by classes. There are approximately 600 classes assigned. The groups are shown in Table 2-1

Table 2-1.-FSC Groups

Table 2-1.-FSC Group-Continued

Table 2-1.-FSC Groups-Continued

Table 2-1.-FSC Groups-Continued

The number of classes in each group varies. Each class covers a particular area of commodities, depending on the physical or performance characteristics of the commodities or whether the items in the class are usually requisitioned or issued together. Examples of how the classes are used to divide types of material within a stock group are shown in figure 2-1 The stock group and the class together are known as the federal supply classification (FSC).

National Stock Number

A national stock number (NSN) is a 13-digit number assigned by the Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC) to identify an item of material in the supply distribution system of the United States. It consists of a four-digit FSC and a nine-digit national item identification number (NIIN). The MIN consists of a two-digit national codification bureau (NCB) code and seven digits which, when used together,

Figure 2-1: Example of FSC groups and classes.

uniquely identify each NSN item in the Federal Supply Distribution System (FSDS). See figure 2-2 Cognizance Symbol

A cognizance (control) symbol is a two-position alphanumeric code that is prefixed to an NSN to identify and designate the cognizant inventory manager who exercises supply management over specified categories of material. The first character of the cognizance symbol identifies the stems account (NSA, APA, or none) as follows:

0 0 denotes material not carried in a stores account.

0 Even numbers 2, 4, 6, and 8 denote material earned in an appropriation purchase account (APA). (This material is issued without charge to the requisitioner.)

0 Odd numbers 1, 3, 5, and 7 denote material carried in a Navy stock account (NSA). (The requisitioner must pay for this material.)

0 9 denotes Navy-owned material carried in an NSA and managed by the Navy Fleet Material Support Office (FMSO). (The requisitioner must pay for this material.)

The second part of the cognizance symbol is a single-letter code that designates the inventory manager or the inventory control point (ICP) that has cognizance of the material. The most commonly used cognizance symbols within the Mine Force are 2E, 2T, 4E, 6T, 7H, and 7Z. For a complete list of cognizance symbol assignments by the inventory manager, refer to appendix 18 of Afloat Supply Procedures, NAVSUP P-485.

Material Control Code

A material control code (MCC) is a single alphabetic character assigned by the inventory manager to segregate items into more manageable groupings (fast, medium, or slow movers) or to relate to field activities special reporting requirements. National Codification Bureau Code

A national codification bureau (NCB) code is a two-digit code included as the fifth and sixth digits of an NSN or a NATO stock number. It either identifies the country that assigned the stock number or it indicates that the stock number is used by two or more countries. The most commonly used NCB codes within the Mine Force are 00 (United States) and 01 (United States).

National Item Identification Number

A national item identification number (NIIN) is a nine-digit number that identifies each supply item used by the DOD. Although the NIIN is part of the NSN, it is used independently to identify an item,

Figure 2-2.-Elements of an NSN.

Except for identification lists, most federal supply catalogs are arranged in NIIN order. Stock records are also maintained in NIIN order, as are mine bill of material (MBOM) lists.