CHAPTER 17
AMMUNITION ADMINISTRATION ASHORE
AND AFLOAT
Ammunition is vital to naval operations. Because
of its high cost and logistical characteristics, the status
of ammunition is carefully and continuously studied at
the highest echelons of the defense establishment.
Ammunition is a high-priority consideration by
operational and logistics commanders. It is essential for
logistics planning that current and accurate information
concerning Navy ammunition stock status be available
at the appropriate time.
This information must be
available to commanders of naval forces when planning
their training and operational expenditures. For these
reasons, accurate and prompt reporting of individual
ammunition transactions directly affects the Navy's
ability to sustain a high degree of readiness.
FLEET OPTICAL SCANNING
AMMUNITION MARKING
SYSTEM (FOSAMS)
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Identify the
various components and the reports generated
by FOSAMS.
Historically, the record shows the Navy has had
problems in accurate ammunition accountability and
reporting. Improving this situation worldwide has
become a top priority because the defense of our country
depends on it. FOSAMS was created in an effort to
improve ammunition management by automating many
error-prone manual processes. The FOSAMS uses
optical scanning physical inventory system technology
and procedures.
Another initiative to improve
accountability problems was the creation of the
Non-Nuclear Ammunition Inventory Accuracy (NAIA)
Program, managed by the Naval Sea System Command.
This program targets improvement of inventory
accuracy at reporting activities and in the computer data
base where CAIMS is located The objective of NAIA
is to achieve 99.5% record accuracy and 100% asset
visibility. This goal can and is being achieved at some
activities.
When FOSAMS is initially installed at an activity,
the activity’s entire on-board ammunition inventory is
programmed into the microcomputer. Additionally, all
ammunition is labeled with barcode labels. Thereafter,
the microcomputer maintains all the ammunition
records, including ammunition transaction reports for
that activity. Upon receipt, issue, turn-in, or expenditure
of ammunition material, bar coding and optical scanning
is used to capture data and update the activity’s records.
These programs and procedures are designed to
automatically accept and process the information
received into a machine-readable format by a
system/display printer.
This reduces the
labor-intensive, error-prone record keeping and
ammunition reporting methods presently being used
The FOSAMS is currently located at 140 sites.
However with ship deactivations occurring,
reinstallations occur with regularity. Ship types that use
FOSAMS include CV/CVN, AE, AOE, AOR, LHA,
LPH, LHD, LKA, LPD, and AOJ. Most NASs and
many Marine Corps Air Stations (MCASs), NATO
bases, NAFs, naval stations, subsupport facilities,
amphibious bases, naval magazines, and marine air
logistics squadrons use FOSAMS.
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
The components required for system implementa-
tion are as follows:
Computer terminal (fig. 17-1). This is the monitor
or window for the FOSAMS database.
Figure 17-1.—Display monitor/terminal.
17-1
