Radio Numbering Specification

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