The process by which DoD achieves the closest practicable cooperation among the military services and defense agencies for the most efficient use of research, development, and production resources, and agrees to adopt on the broadest possible basis the use of:

1. Common or compatible operational, administrative, and logistic procedures
2. Common or compatible technical procedures
3. Common, compatible, or interchangeable supplies, components, weapons, or equipment
4. Common or compatible tactical doctrine with corresponding organizational compatibility.

As applied to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and to non-NATO countries, standardization involves the process of developing concepts, doctrines, procedures and designs to achieve and maintain the most effective levels of compatibility, interoperability, interchangeability and commonality in the fields of operations, administration, and materiel.