LCC5 (logistics coordination centre)

LCC5 stands for logistics coordination centre. It is a NATO military abbreviation, and NATO's glossary of acronyms and abbreviations gives the French equivalent as centre de coordination logistique. The glossary ties the entry to the publication ALP-09. NATO's AAP-15 glossary is the reference for this entry.

The number five is not part of the name. It separates this meaning from other NATO abbreviations that begin with LCC. Canadian suppliers are more likely to meet a related Department of National Defence (DND) term, the Inbound Logistics Coordination Center (ILCC), in shipping clauses. The two terms are different, and this page explains each.

How NATO separates LCC5 from other LCC abbreviations

NATO material uses LCC as the general abbreviation for logistics coordination centre. In the abbreviation glossary, the same three letters carry several meanings, so the entries are numbered to tell them apart. LCC5 is the entry for logistics coordination centre. Two neighbouring entries mean something else:

• LCC3 means life cycle cost.
• LCC4 means local control centre.

A reader who sees LCC in a NATO or defence document should check the context before assuming which meaning applies. NATO's official terminology database, NATOTerm, covers non-classified military and NATO-related terminology and is the place to confirm NATO usage.

What a logistics coordination centre does in NATO doctrine

NATO logistics guidance describes a logistics control or coordination centre as an arrangement set up to coordinate logistics activity. The NATO Logistics Handbook places local procurement and liaison on host-nation support within that coordination role. The centre is established by the appropriate NATO commander, so it is a command-level tool and not a standing commercial body.

NATO also publishes broader information on its logistics role on its page NATO's role in logistics. It gives the wider context in which a coordination centre operates.

The related ILCC clause in DND solicitations

The term that appears in Canadian procurement documents is Inbound Logistics Coordination Center (ILCC). DND shipping instructions require a Canadian contractor to contact the ILCC before shipping goods. The clause is in the DND rear axle request for proposal on CanadaBuys, among other solicitations.

The clause has these features:

• It applies to specified contract situations, including sole-source contracts and repair-and-overhaul contracts, subject to the regional conditions stated in the solicitation.
• The contractor must arrange shipment with the ILCC.
• The contractor must provide the information listed in the contract's "Required Information" clause.
• The solicitation supplies ILCC contact details, including telephone, fax and email, and gives separate instructions for Canadian and U.S.-based contractors.

This is a DND operational requirement. It is not a NATO term, and it should not be read as a Canadian use of LCC5.

What it means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

LCC5 is unlikely to appear as a standard contracting abbreviation in Canadian federal, provincial or territorial solicitations. It is a NATO term, and you will meet it in NATO documents and doctrine. If you supply defence goods, the practical item is the ILCC clause. Read the shipping instructions in each DND solicitation, note whether the clause applies to your contract type and region, and build the ILCC contact step into your delivery plan. Gather the information named in the "Required Information" clause before you ship. Confirm the exact wording in the solicitation you are bidding on, because the conditions are stated there.