"We are making progress one step at a time," said Mr. Rick Grove, a Canadian and PACS chairman.  "Every year we see progress - another country adopts the system, two countries enter into cooperative arrangements, and another country expresses strong interest for the first time.  Time is on our side." 

Mr. Grove believes the world needs a system like this because technology is making logistics more complex, and governments want to reduce costs. "The NCS is their best available approach," he explained.

The common supply language allows cooperation among logisticians who speak different languages (or even the same language).  For example, the Brunei supply sergeant speaking earlier in the Malaysian language asked for a type of adhesive bandages cataloged by New Zealand. The Korean Navy stock keeper did not have the particular item but offered a substitute adhesive bandage cataloged by Australia.

For more information on PACS, see www.dlis.dla.mil/nato/links_nato.asp and choose "PACS."  More information about the NCS and the PACS MCRL is available through www.dlis.dla.mil/nato/ and www.dlis.dla.mil/cdrom.asp.