11.1 NATO CALS Standards Policy
It is NATO CALS Policy to promote the use of International, technology, and vendor independent CALS standards and to harmonize, wherever possible, standards and their application. Many CALS and CALS-like processes also rely on standards that have multiple applications outside the primary CALS domain; the NATO CALS Organization will only involve itself with such related standards in instances where such involvement is essential to support the NATO CALS Mission.
11.1.1 ISO Standards
This policy implies the use, where they exist, of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards or those of other international bodies of similar status (e.g., United Nations Economic Commission for Europe(UN/ECE), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), or International Telecommunications Union - Telecommunications Standardization Bureau (ITU-TSB)(formerly CCITT)). The NATO CALS Organization will seek to ensure that the NATO interest as users of such standards are safeguarded or represented as appropriate.
11.1.2 Multi-national or National Standards
Where such ISO standards do not exist, it is NATO CALS Policy to promote the harmonization of any appropriate de facto international, multi-national, or national standards with the aim of establishing such products on a migration path to ISO status.
11.1.3 Standardization Agreements/Military Profiles
Where the establishment of an ISO Migration Path is not practicable, the NATO CALS Management Board will promote the development of NATO Standard practices that lead to improved interoperability, using, where appropriate, NATO Standardization Agreements (STANAG).
11.1.4 Limitations of Standards
Not all CALS standards contain comprehensive detailed specifications that permit the optimum implementation of every possible process to which the standards have relevance. In particular, international and national standards often seek to provide a framework suited to a variety of applications; this approach often results in standards with deficiencies so far as any specific application (e.g., Military) is concerned, and hence particular user groups tend to develop either separate standards (e.g., US DoD MIL SPECs) or application profiles which interpret the base standards or amplify them for specific applications (e.g., UK MoD DEF STANs or NATO STANAGs). The NATO CALS Policy recognizes such limitations, but such products will only be promoted as an interim measure whilst more general standards are under development or to support essential NATO operational requirements specific to NATO and the NATO Nations for which external standards are inappropriate.
11.1.5 NATO User Groups
In instances where a number of NATO applications of a specific standard exist the NATO CALS Organization will seek to promote the exchange of experience, skills, and information between users with the primary aims of improving the standard where necessary and of providing a source of information and advice to staff of new agencies and projects.
11.2 NATO CALS Standards
Pending any formal adoption of a standard for NATO CALS application, a system of recommendation will be adopted. Where determined, this recommendation is shown in Column 1 under each heading:
11.2.1 Temporary Standard [ T ]
Temporary Standards are either de-facto standards from industry or academic development bodies or standards organisations that have been widely adopted and are available in COTS implementations from commercial vendors. If such a standard becomes an ISO standard, it will be adopted as a Recommended Standard. If it is superseded by an approved ISO standard that is adequately supported by implementation tools, then it will be dropped.
11.2.2 Emerging Standard [ E ]
An Emerging Standard is a de-facto or de-jure standard appropriate for CALS application but which has not (yet) been adopted or taken under consideration by an international standards organisation. These can be Draft International Standards (DIS) or National Standards or approved International Standards without product support. Emerging Standards generally do not have approved product support (COTS tools).
11.2.3 Recommended Standard [ R ]
A Recommended Standard is one which has been approved by international standards organizations such as ISO, IEC, or ITU-TSB/CCITT and which is supported by an adequate number of COTS implementations or tools. These standards have priority over Emerging Standards and Temporary Standards.
11.2.4 Not Recommended Standard [ N ]
A "Not-Recommended" Standard is one which has been approved by international standards organisations, but which does not comply with modern CALS Philosophy and which has been superseded. These standards may be in current use, but it is not recommended that they be used in future applications.
11.2.5 Undetermined Status [ ]
Unless one of the above indicators has been used, the status of the standard should be regarded as undetermined at the date of publication as far as NATO CALS Policy is concerned. Normally this designation will only be used in initial drafts of new sections of the Handbook.
