Radio Numbering Specification

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Overview

In the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS) system, complete equipment sets or systems are designated with a sequence of letters and digits prefixed by AN/, then three letters, a hyphen, a number, and (occasionally) some optional letters (AN/AAA-nnn suffixed by (Vn)- hardware/software version} or (T){training equipment} . The three letters tell where the equipment is used, what it does and its purpose. For example, the AN/PRC-77 is a Portable Radio used for two way Communications. The numbers for any given type of equipment are assigned sequentially, thus higher numbers indicate more modern systems.

Radio Designation Example:

AN/VRC-12
AN
V Ground Vehicular
R Radio
C Communications
12 Model Number


Radio Designation Chart

Radio Numbering Designations
SEC DEF
AN
System Indicator
V
Installation Type (Where it is)
A - Piloted Aircraft
B - Underwater Mobile (submarine)
C - Cryptographic Equipment (NSA use only) (was Air Transportable)
D - Pilotless Carrier (drone, UAV)
F - Fixed Ground
G - General Ground Use
K - Amphibious
M - Ground Mobile
P - Human Portable
S - Water (surface ship)
T - Transportable (ground)
U - General Utility (multi use)
V - Vehicle (ground)
W - Water Surface and Underwater combined
Z - Piloted/Pilotless Airborne vehicles combined
R
Type of Equipment (What is it)
A - Invisible Light, Heat Radiation (e.g. infrared)
B - Comsec (NSA use only) (was Pigeon)
C - Carrier (electronic wave or signal)
D - Radiac (Radioactivity Detection, Identification, and Computation)
E - Laser (was NUPAC, Nuclear Protection & Control)
F - Fiber Optics (was Photographic)
G - Telegraph or Teletype
I - Interphone and Public Address
J - Electromechanical or inertial wire covered
K - Telemetering
L - Countermeasures
M - Meteorological
N - Sound in Air
P - Radar
Q - Sonar and Underwater Sound
R - Radio
S - Special or Combination
T - Telephone (Wire)
V - Visual, Visible Light
W - Armament (not otherwise covered)
X - Fax or Television
Y - Data Processing
Z - Communications (NSA use only)
C
Purpose (What it does)
A - Auxiliary Assembly
B - Bombing
C - Communications (two way)
D - Direction Finding, Reconnaissance and Surveillance
E - Ejection and/or Release
G - Fire Control or Searchlight Directing
H - Recording and/or Reproducing
K - Computing
L - no longer used. Was Searchlight Control, now covered by "G".
M - Maintenance or Test
N - Navigation Aid
P - no longer used. Was Reproducing, now covered by "H"
Q - Special or Combination
R - Receiving or Passive Detecting
S - Detecting, Range and Bearing, Search
T - Transmitting
W - Automatic Flight or Remote Control
X - Identification or Recognition
Y - Surveillance (target detecting and tracking) and Control (fire control and/or air control)
Z - Secure (NSA use only)
12
Equipment Specific Model Number