10 U.S.C. § 2451 — Defense supply management

(a) The Secretary of Defense must develop one catalog system and related program for standardizing Defense Department supplies^*.

(b) The Secretary must name, describe, classify, and number every recurring item used, purchased, stocked, or distributed by the Department so one unique letter-and-number combination identifies the same item throughout the Department. One identifier must be used for all supply functions from purchase through final disposal. The catalog may have multiple volumes, sections, or supplements. It must cover all supplies and include information needed for supply operations, such as description and performance, size, weight, volume, packaging and packing, a standard unit of measurement, and other data the Secretary considers desirable.

(c) To the highest practicable degree, the Secretary must (1) standardize items used throughout the Department by using single specifications, removing overlapping and duplicate specifications, and reducing generally similar sizes and kinds; (2) standardize packing, packaging, and preservation; and (3) efficiently use inspection, testing, and acceptance services and facilities.

(d) The Secretary must coordinate with the General Services Administrator so commercial identifiers for commercial products, as defined in 41 U.S.C. § 103, can be used in the federal cataloging system.