Hydrographic Map Products

Hydrographic Map Products is the DLA Aviation catalog line for nautical/hydrographic charts and related maritime navigation products, distributed to DoD, federal, and authorized international customers by DLA Aviation's Mapping Customer Operations (MCO). These are the printed and digital charts that show water depth, bottom composition, coastline contours, tides, and currents — sourced from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the producing authority, and distributed through DLA's mapping supply chain.

What it is

Hydrographic (nautical) charts fall under Federal Supply Class 7642 — Hydrographic Maps, Charts and Geodetic Products — one of four federal supply classes DLA Aviation MCO manages across more than 150,000 National Stock Numbers of aeronautical, digital, hydrographic, and topographic map products. NGA produces the underlying chart data (including the Digital Nautical Chart series); DLA Aviation, operating out of its Richmond, Virginia map facility, handles cataloging, stock, and distribution to military and other authorized customers. The Hydrographic Map Products page is DLA's ordering and reference point for this product line specifically.

Who operates it

DLA Aviation's Mapping Customer Operations (MCO) owns the distribution mission, operating from 8000 Jefferson Davis Highway, Richmond, VA. NGA is the source producer of the hydrographic chart data itself; DLA does not create the charts but manages their cataloging, stocking, and delivery to the fleet and other DoD/federal customers.

Access

The product-line description page is publicly viewable, but placing and managing orders is not open to the general public. A customer must hold a valid DoD Activity Address Code (DODAAC), Unit Identifier Code (UIC), or Federal Activity Address Code (FEDAAC) and obtain an account through DLA's Account Management and Provisioning System (AMPS), which in turn provisions access to the Mapping Enterprise Business System (MEBS) at mebs.dla.mil for managing map subscriptions and orders. AMPS registration itself requires a Common Access Card (CAC) or PIV certificate. External (non-DLA/DFAS) requesters also need to supply supervisor and security-officer contact information as part of account setup. MCO's Customer Management Branch (1-800-826-0342 / (804) 279-6500, DSN 695-6500, acctmgr@dla.mil) assists with account establishment and is available Monday through Friday, 0630–1600 EST.

How logisticians use it

Once an AMPS/MEBS account is provisioned, unit supply and logistics personnel use it to place one-time or recurring (subscription-based) orders for hydrographic charts and related nautical/geodetic products alongside DLA's aeronautical and topographic map lines — supporting maritime navigation, port operations, and mission planning wherever current nautical charts are required.

Related systems

Hydrographic Map Products is one of three map-product families (aeronautical, hydrographic, topographic) DLA Aviation MCO distributes; account access for all of them runs through DLA's AMPS account-provisioning system, and order management runs through MEBS. The underlying chart data is produced by NGA.