Standardisation

1.	Try to answer these questions before reading the text

1. What do you understand by the term “standardization”?

2. What do you know about STANAG?

3. How do you understand the term interoperability?

2.

In this exercise we’ll concentrate on the words and word combinations to be sure you know what they mean

standardization – the development and implementation of concepts, doctrines, procedures and designs to achieve and maintain the required levels of compatibility, interchangeability or commonality in the operational, procedural, material, technical and administrative fields to attain interoperability;

STANAG – (NATO standardization agreement) the record of an agreement among several or all the member nations to adopt like or similar military equipment, ammunition, supplies and stores, and operational, logistic and administrative procedures;

enable – 1) to provide (someone) with adequate power, means, opportunity, or authority (to do something); 2) to make possible;

to exploit – 1) to take advantage of (a person, situation, etc.), esp unethically or unjustly for one's own ends; 2) to make the best use of;

to eliminate – to remove or take out; get rid of;

duplication – a copy; duplicate;

to promulgate – 1) to put into effect (a law, decree, etc.), esp by formal proclamation; 2) to announce or declare officially; 3) to make widespread;

armament – 1) (often plural) the weapon equipment of a military vehicle, ship, or aircraft; 2) a military force raised and armed ready for war; 3) preparation for war involving the production of equipment and arms;

cohesion – the act or state of cohering; tendency to unite;

to incorporate – to include or be included as a part or member of a united whole;

integral – being an essential part (of); intrinsic (to);

requirement – 1) something demanded or imposed as an obligation; 2) a thing desired or needed;

impetus – an impelling movement or force; incentive or impulse; stimulus.

3.

Read the text and translate into Ukrainian

Standardisation

Standardisation amongst NATO forces makes a vital contribution to the combined operational effectiveness of the military forces of the Alliance and enables opportunities to be exploited for making better use of economic resources. Extensive efforts are therefore made in many different spheres to improve cooperation and eliminate duplication in research, development, production, procurement and support of defence systems. NATO Standardisation Agreements for procedures and systems and for equipment components, known as STANAGs, are developed and promulgated by the NATO Military Agency for Standardisation in conjunction with the Conference of National Armaments Directors and other authorities concerned.

By formulating, agreeing, implementing and maintaining standards for equipment and procedures used throughout NATO, a significant contribution is made to the cohesion of the Alliance and to the effectiveness of its defence structure. While standardisation is of relevance in many different areas, the principal forum for standardisation policy issues is the NATO Standardisation Organisation (NSO), which aims to incorporate standardisation as an integral part of Alliance planning and acts as a coordinator between senior NATO bodies confronting standardisation requirements. The NSO was established in 1995 to give renewed impetus to Alliance work aimed at improving the coordination of allied policies and programmes for standardisation in the materiel, technical and operational fields.

4.	Answer the questions

1. What are the major objectives of STANAG?

2. Who develops STANAGs?

3. When was NSO established?

4. What are the main functions of NSO?

5.	Complete the speech bubbles

1. ____________ efforts are therefore made in many different spheres to improve cooperation and eliminate ______________ in research, development, production, _______________ and support of defence systems.

2. _______________ amongst NATO forces makes a vital contribution to the combined operational effectiveness of the military forces of the Alliance and ___________ opportunities to be ____________ for making better use of economic resources.

3. By formulating, agreeing, ____________ and maintaining standards for equipment and procedures used throughout NATO, a significant _____________ is made to the _____________ of the Alliance and to the effectiveness of its defence structure.

4. NATO Standardisation Organisation (NSO) aims to ______________ standardisation as an integral part of Alliance planning and acts as a ____________ between senior NATO bodies confronting standardisation ___________________.

6.



Discuss these questions in pairs or small groups

1. What are advantages and disadvantages of STANAG?

2. How does STANAG improve interoperability between NATO countries?

3. What do you know about STANAG 6001?

7.	Translate words and word combinations into English

Стандартизація, значний внесок, надавати можливості, значні зусилля, дублювання, дослідження, постачання, угода про стандартизацію, опубліковувати, єдність, включати (до складу), складова частина, вимоги до стандартизації, імпульс, Організація НАТО з питань стандартизації.

8.	Read, decipher and translate abbreviations

STANAG; NSO.