Co-Operative Logistics (COLOG)

Co-Operative Logistics (COLOG) is a supply arrangement negotiated with the United States Government under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The CanadaBuys Supply Manual glossary defines it as the arrangement that lets Canada's Department of National Defence (DND) obtain spare parts and accessories for Crown-owned military equipment of U.S. origin directly from U.S. Department of Defense supply systems. The definition is published in the CanadaBuys Supply Manual glossary.

The arrangement requires the purchasing country to acquire equity in the relevant U.S. military supply system. In practice, COLOG is a government-to-government channel rather than a commercial tender. It is one of the instruments Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) negotiates with the U.S. Government to keep U.S.-origin equipment supplied.

How COLOG Fits Within Foreign Military Sales

CanadaBuys describes COLOG as a category of U.S. Foreign Military Sales cases, alongside blanket order cases. PSPC negotiates these cases with the U.S. Government, and DND uses the resulting arrangements to obtain material and services from U.S. Department of Defense supply systems. The CanadaBuys page on United States Foreign Military Sales sets out this structure.

Equity, Stock Levels and the FMSO I Case

COLOG permits pre-stocking and storage of consumable items that DND needs on a recurring basis. The participating country buys equity in the appropriate U.S. military service's supply system through an FMSO I case. That case establishes stock levels, and those levels can be adjusted according to usage.

• The goods covered are spare parts, accessories and recurring consumable items.
• The equipment supported is Crown-owned and of U.S. origin.
• The equity purchase is a condition of the arrangement.
• Stock levels follow actual usage rather than staying fixed.

The Co-operative Logistics Supply Support Arrangement

Canada's COLOG arrangement is associated with the Co-operative Logistics Supply Support Arrangement (CLSSA). It was initially approved in 1965. PSPC is responsible for making the arrangements with the U.S. Government and for administering specified responsibilities connected with the COLOG/CLSSA supply-support arrangement, as described on the CanadaBuys Foreign Military Sales page.

COLOG and NATO Co-operative Logistics

The term also has a broader use in NATO. The NATO Logistics Handbook describes co-operative logistics as the pooling of national logistics capabilities. It defines NATO co-operative logistics activities as "the identification, negotiation, planning and implementation of collective logistics arrangements among nations, their forces or agencies." The Canadian COLOG arrangement is a specific bilateral mechanism with the United States, and the NATO definition describes the wider concept.

What COLOG Means for a Supplier Bidding on Canadian Public Contracts

COLOG is not ordinarily a standalone Canadian commercial solicitation. It is a government-to-government supply arrangement through which DND accesses U.S. military supply systems. The Canadian sources do not establish a bidder certification, mandatory clause or direct supplier registration requirement called "COLOG."

• Treat a COLOG reference in a solicitation or contract as a pointer to the applicable FMS and CLSSA supply-support mechanism.
• Follow the specific instructions in the solicitation rather than assuming COLOG creates a separate qualification.
• Expect that demand for U.S.-origin spares may be met through this channel and not through an open Canadian tender.