NATO STANAG
E2. Naval, defence and maritime law enforcementDefinition
Standardization agreement for interoperability.
A NATO Standardization Agreement, the formal instrument by which member states agree to adopt a common standard for equipment, procedures, or terminology to achieve interoperability. STANAGs are issued and managed by the NATO Standardization Office (NSO). Maritime examples cover signaling, replenishment-at-sea procedures, and ammunition compatibility; STANAG 1008 sets shipboard electrical-power characteristics. Ratification is by nation, and a state may ratify with reservations, so a STANAG binds only those that adopt it.
Source: NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG), administered by the NATO Standardization Office; e.g. STANAG 1008 (shipboard electrical power).