Afloat Shopping Guide

The Afloat Shopping Guide (ASG), published by NAVSUP as Publication P-4400, is a reference catalog that helps Navy fleet and shipboard supply personnel identify commonly requisitioned items of supply. It is not a standalone public web tool — it is distributed as a NAVSUP publication through the Naval Logistics Library (NLL), a CAC-gated Navy system, so most of the public directory's prior "public, no URL" listing for this entry was incorrect.

What it is

The ASG (NAVSUP P-4400) lists National Stock Numbers (NSNs) and descriptions for supply items most frequently requested by afloat units — organized by Federal Supply Group/Federal Supply Class ranges across six sections. Each entry includes a description, and where applicable, illustrations, specifications, and substitute stock numbers, so that fleet and afloat supply personnel who are not NSN or cataloging specialists can identify the right item to requisition.

Who operates it

NAVSUP (Naval Supply Systems Command) publishes the ASG. The Naval Logistics Library — the system through which NAVSUP publications including the ASG are distributed and searched — is operated by the NAVSUP Business Systems Center (NAVSUP BSC) in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

Access

The ASG is not available on the open internet. It is distributed through the Naval Logistics Library (NLL), which requires a Common Access Card (CAC) to search and view documents; ordering publications and other extended functionality requires account registration, which in turn requires a System Authorization Access Request (SAAR) form for role-based access. The NLL's public-facing information page is at navsup.navy.mil; the authenticated application portal itself sits behind CAC/PKI authentication (consistent with a certificate-gated login, not a dead link). Users needing help with NLL access or publication requests can contact the NLL Customer Service help desk.

How logisticians use it

Afloat supply personnel use the ASG as a quick-reference tool to match a needed shipboard consumable or common-use item to its correct NSN without having to consult full federal cataloging systems, then requisition the item through standard Navy supply channels. It is aimed at reducing misidentification and incorrect-item requisitions aboard ship.

Related systems

The ASG is one of several NAVSUP-published afloat supply references distributed through the Naval Logistics Library alongside other NAVSUP P-series publications (e.g., supply and allowance references for operational forces). Logisticians needing authoritative NSN-level cataloging data beyond the ASG's scope typically cross-reference FLIS/WebFLIS.