DoD policy is to promote standardization of materiel, facilities, and engineering practices to improve military operational readiness, and reduce total ownership costs and acquisition cycle time. It is also DoD policy to state requirements in performance terms, wherever practical, and to make maximum use of non-Government standards and commercial technologies, products, and practices. To pursue these policies, there is a single, integrated Defense Standardization Program (DSP) and a uniform series of specifications, standards, and related documents. The following are key DSP policy documents:
- Cataloging and Standardization Act (10 U.S.C. Chapter 145)
- DoD Directive 5137.02, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E))
- DoD Instruction 4120.24, Defense Standardization Program (DSP)
- DoD Manual 4120.24, Defense Standardization Program (DSP) Procedures
The most recent DoD issuances, can be found at http://www.esd.whs.mil/DD/DoD-Issuances.