National Item Identification Number

A National (or NATO) Item Identification Number (NIIN) is a 9-digit numeric code which uniquely identifies an item of supply in the NATO Codification System (NCS).

The NIIN is often prefixed by the NATO Supply Class (NSC aka FSC) to form a National Stock Number (NSN), however the NIIN alone uniquely identifies the item, the FSC merely adds context by indicating the general classification of the item.

The NIIN’s Data Record Number (DRN), in the NCS metabase is 4000. The information listed under in this DRN identifies very specifically the nature of NIIN, its syntax and the procedures associated with it.

Format and Syntax

The NIIN may be formatted with dashes, as follows

  01-234-5678

This format improves readability but is optional as NIINs are often listed without dashes.

The first two digits of the NIIN identify the National Codification Bureau (NCB). The NCB is the entity, typically a government agency, in charge of maintaining the NCS database within a given country. The other 7 characters are a non significant identification number (actually code, as some of these characters may be alphanumeric, although in general NIINs are strictly numeric.) Following are a few examples of NCB codes:

Country	NCB Code(s)
USA	00 to 09
Germany	12
Belgium	13
France	14
Italy	15
Czech Republic	16
Netherlands	17
South Africa	18
Brazil	19
Canada	20 and 21
Denmark	22
Greece	23
Iceland	24
Norway	25
Portugal	26
Turkey	27
Luxemburg	28
Argentina	29
Japan	30
Israel	31
Singapore	32
Spain	33
Malaysia	34
Thailand	35
Egypt	36
Republic of Korea	37
Estonia	38
Romania	39
Slovakia	40
Austria	41
Slovenia	42
Poland	43
United Nations	44
Indonesia	45
Phillipines	46
Lithuania	47
Fiji	48
Tonga	49
Bulgaria	50
Hungary	51
Chile	52
Croatia	53
Macedonia	54
Latvia	55
Oman	56
Australia	66
Saudi Arabia	70
United Arab Emirates	71
New Zealand	98
United Kingdom	99

As the list shows, users of the NCS system not only include NATO member countries, but NATO-sponsored countries as well.

Note also the clever relationship between the Aussie and the Brit nationality indicators. Smart thinking to assist memory, or stumblingly accidental good fortune ?

NIIN Catalogs

NIIN / NSN Catalogs include a significant number of items directly associated with military equipment in general, as well as items of a more generic use. These include Electronic Components, Medical Equipment, Office Furniture, Food items, Clothing, Industrial goods (pumps, valves, motors...) and all kinds of Fasteners (bolts, nails, rivets...), to name a few. For this reason, catalogs have a broader appeal, beyond their original audience (Defense agencies and their direct contractors.)

The US Catalog covers in the order of 6 Millions NIINs (Items of Supply) for a total of 13 Millions Items of Production (Part Number + Manufacturer reference).

NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA), compiles on a regular basis the catalogs of several member nations, for the production of the NATO Master Catalogue of References for Logistics (NMCRL). This combined catalog, totaling 16 Million NIINs for approximately 32 Million Parts, is then published on DVD.

Several companies or governmental agencies publish NIIN Catalogs online or on other media. These catalogs vary greatly in term of the completeness of the information as some items and/or some segments of information may be excluded, for [USA] Security reasons or simply for lack of interest by the target audience. The distribution of these catalogs vary also in terms of the subscription cost and access or export restrictions. Some merely provide a "Part Number" lookup, while others offer advanced features such as parametric search (Search of items driven by the technical characteristics such as physical dimensions, material, color etc.) or links to associated data set.

Resources

AC/135 Group of directors on Codification

NMCRL Information

Defense Logistics Information Service (DLIS)

See also

NATO Stock Number

Federal Supply Code

NATO Codification System

FED LOG

FLIS