In  the  next  few  sections,  the  FSC,  FSC Group,   FSC   Class,    NCB  Code,  NHN,  and related  NSN  information  will  be  explained  in detail. FEDERAL  CATALOG  SYSTEM The  Defense  Logistics  Agency  (DLA),  under the  general  direction  of  the  Assistant  Secretary of   Defense   (Installations   and   Logistics), administers  the  Federal  Catalog  System  which encompasses the naming, describing, classifying, and  numbering  of  all  items  carried  under  cen- tralized  inventory  control  by  the  Department  of Defense   (DOD)   and   the   civil   agencies   of   the Federal  Government.  Only  one  identification may  be  used  for  each  item  for  all  supply  func- tions.  The  Federal  Catalog  System  is  also  used by  the  North  Atlantic  Treaty  Organization (NATO)   countries. Material  Classification The   Federal   Supply   Classification   (FSC) System  has  been  designed  to  permit  the classification  of  all  items  of  supply  used  by  the Federal   Government.   It   provides   a   common language  so  that  one  service  or  agency  can  use available materials held in stock by another com- ponent.   This   common   language   serves   as   an economy  measure  for  both  DOD  members  and the  civil  agencies.   Instead  of  the  Army,  Air Force,  Navy,  and  civil  agencies  each  purchasing and  maintaining  large  stocks  of  material,  all  of these agencies make use of centralized stocks. FSC  GROUP.—The  FSC  System  divides  all materials  into  numbered  groups  consisting  of  2 digits.  These  groups  or  categories  are  shown  in figure  II-2-1. FSC   CLASS.—Stock   groups   cover   rather broad categories of material. Therefore, they are divided  into  classes  to  differentiate  types  of material within a stock group. These classes con- sist of a 2-digit number. Figure II-2-2 shows the class  breakdown  for  FSC  Group  99.  Note  that ecclesiastical  equipment,  furnishings,  and  sup- pIies are listed under FSC number 9925. National Codification Bureau Code A   National   Codification   Bureau   (NCB) Code  is  a  2-digit  code  which  is  included  as  the fifth  and  sixth  digits  of  a  National  Stock Number  or  NATO  Stock  Number.  It  identifies the country that assigned the stock number or it indicates that the stock number is used by two or more countries, A list of currently assigned NCB Codes  is  shown  below. NCB   CODE 00 01 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 66 98 99 COUNTRY United States United  States NATO  Standard  Items Germany Belgium France Italy Netherlands South  Africa Canada Denmark Greece Iceland Norway Portugal Turkey Luxembourg Argentina Australia New  Zealand United  Kingdom 2-2