The Tonga Defence Services are learning new NATO codes that can allow for quicker purchase and order of military supplies.

A coding system used by 26 NATO countries to classify names of items of supply or purchases by armed forces, is being shared with some Pacific countries.

The Annual Pacific Area Cataloguing Seminar (PACS) was officially opened by the Acting Commander of the Tonga Defence Services at the Fa'onelua Convention Center, Nuku'alofa, this morning.

The three-days seminar May 13-15 provides training and information on the NATO Codification System (NCS) for the Pacific region and it is hosted by the Tonga Defence Services for the first time.

Military supplies

PACS Chairman, Stephen Worth, said today, they are sharing knowledge with the official ally nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Tonga.

He said the NCS system is vital because it is used by 26 NATO countries to classify names of items of supply or purchases by armed forces and its advantage for Tonga is that TDS will be able to learn new concepts and codes relating to NCS that can allow for quicker purchase and order of military supplies.

Item identification is the most important element of the codification system because it establishes a unique identification for every item of supply.

He said the seminar would learn about the system and how it employs rules for "naming" each item of supply using standard naming to ensure regularity among users.

NCS controls the naming using a dictionary of Approved Item Names. Each approved name is given a five digit numeric codes that provides easy translation and communication between nations in varying languages.

Countries that participate in the NCS follow common standards and techniques to assign NATO items of supply in their defence list.

NATO stock

Within NATO, the NCS currently contains 16 million active NATO Stock number NSNs and the items represented range from hand grenades to guided missiles, propeller blades, space vehicles to soap dishes and other goods.

TDS Acting Commander Toni Fonokalaki said in his opening speech that Tonga is currently investigating the opportunity after hosting this seminar to reactivate and come back on line, "as we have experienced limited logistics weakens our operational capabilities and our ability to maneuver.

PACS is an initiative of the Pacific Area Senior Officers Logistics Seminar (PASOLS), sponsored by the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command.

Participants include Commander Satisi Vunipola as well as colonels from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Brunei. The seminar will end on May 15.

PACS purpose is to establish common cataloging rules within the Pacific region based on the NCS.