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.


The designation indicators are based on "Equipment", "Groups" and "Units". These designators are used to describe what the equipment is and what it is used for.

Sets or Equipment

Equipment Indicator Example:

The following is an example of a set of equipment system, the full chart of definitions can be found at Set or Equipment Indicator Letters below.

AN/VRC-12
AN = Designates that this device is categorized by the JETDS system
V = Ground Vehicular
R = Radio
C = Communications
12 = Model Number


Groups

Electronic Systems can be also organized into groups, these groups are classified by a two letter prefix indicating the purpose of the group. The chart below Group Indicators defines these prefixes.

Group Indicator Example

OE-254/VRC
OE = Antenna groups

Equipment indicator letters that follow the forward slash indicate the potential of the group for multiple or peculiar application use. For example: OE-254/VRC indicates an antenna group (OE) for Ground Vehicular Radio Communications (VRC). Equipment indicators with a specific model number, Example "OK-450/TRC-26" are used to indicate that the item can only be used with that specific equipment (e.g., AN/TRC-26) with no known potential for other use.


Units

Military Component items can be identified by looking that the nomenclature prefix. These codes can be looked up in the chart below Unit Indicators to determine what they are.

Unit indicators Example

LS-671 = Speaker
H-250 = Head, hand, and chest sets
TA-312 = Telephone apparatus


Set or Equipment Indicator Letters

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


Group Indicators

Radio Numbering Designations
Indicator Family Name
OA Miscellaneous groups
OB Multiplexer and/or demultiplexer groups
OD Indicator groups
OE Antenna groups
OF Adapter groups
OG Amplifier groups
OH Simulator groups
OJ Consoles and console groups
OK Control groups
OL Data analysis and data processing groups
OM Modulator and/or demodulator groups
ON Interconnecting groups
OP Power supply groups
OQ Test set groups
OR Receiver groups
OT Transmitter groups
OU Converter groups
OV Generator groups
OW Terminal groups
OX Coder, decoder, interrogator, transponder groups
OY Radar set groups
OZ Radio set groups

Unit Indicators

Radio Unit Indicators
Indicator Family Name
AB Supports, antenna
AM Amplifiers
AS Antennas, complex and simple
AT Antennas, simple
BA Batteries, primary type. (BA - Batteries)
BB Batteries, secondary type. (BB - Storage Batteries)
BZ Alarm units
C Controls, (C - Control)
CA Commutator assemblies, sonar
CB Capacitor banks
CG Cable assemblies, RF
CK Crystal kits
CM Comparators
CN Compensators
CP Computers
CR Crystals
CU Couplers
CV Converters
CW Radomes
CX Cable assemblies, non-RF
CY Cases and cabinets, (CY - Case)
D Dispensers
DA Loads, dummy
DT Detecting heads
DY Dynamotors (DY- Dynamotor)
E Hoists
F Filter units
FN Furnitures
FR Frequency-measuring devices
G Generators, power
GO Goniometers
GP Ground rods
H Head, hand, and chest sets
HC Crystal holders
HD Environmental apparatus (heating, cooling, etc.
ID Indicators, non-cathode-ray tube
IL Insulators
IM Intensity-measuring devices
IP Indicators, cathode-ray tubes
J Interface units
KY Keying devices
LC Tools, line-construction, (LC - Line Construction)
LS Loudspeakers, (LS - Loud Speaker)
M Microphones
MA Magazines
MD Modulators, demodulators, discriminators
ME Meters
MF Magnets or magnetic-field generators
MK Miscellaneous kits
ML Meteorological devices, (ML - Meteorology)
MT Mountings, (MT - Mount)
MU Memory units
MX Miscellaneous
O Oscillators
OC Oceanographic devices
OS Oscilloscopes, test
PD Prime drivers
PF Fittings, pole
PG Pigeon articles, (PG - Pigeon)
PH Photographic articles, (PH - Photographic)
PL Plug-in units, (PL - Plug)
PP Power supplies, (PP - Power pack)
PT Mapping and plotting units
PU Power equipments, (PU - Power Unit)
R Receivers
RC Reels
RD Recorder-reproducers
RE Relay assemblies
RF RF components
RG Cables, RF bulk
RL Reeling machines, (RL - Reel)
RO Recorders
RP Reproducers
RR Reflectors
RT Receivers and transmitters
S Shelters, (S - Shelter)
SA Switching units
SB Switchboards. (SB - Switchboards)
SG Generators, signal
SM Simulators
SN Synchronizers
ST Straps, (ST - Strap)
SU Optical devices
T Transmitters
TA Telephone apparatus
TB Towed bodies
TC Towed cables
TD Timing devices
TF Transformers
TG Positioning devices
TH Telegraph apparatus
TK Tool kits
TL Tools
TN Tuning units
TR Transducers
TS Test units
TT Teletypewriters and facsimile apparatus
TV Testers, tube
TW Tape units
U Connectors, audio and power
UG Connectors, RF
V Vehicles, (V - vehicles)
VS Signaling equipment, visual
WD Cables, two-conductor
WF Cables, four-conductor
WM Cables, multiple-conductor
WS Cables, single-conductor
WT Cables, three-conductor
ZM Impedance-measuring devices

Major Index

Airborne

A - Piloted Aircraft

underwater

B - Underwater Mobile (submarine)

Air Transportable

C - original

Cryptographic

C - Cryptographic Equipment (NSA use only) (was Air Transportable)

Drone

D - Pilotless Carrier (drone, UAV)

Fixed

F - Fixed Ground

Ground

G - General Ground Use

Amphibious

K - Amphibious

Mobile

M - Ground Mobile

Portable

P - Human Portable

Seaborne

S - Water (surface ship)

Transportable

T - Transportable (ground)

Utility

U - General Utility (multi use)

Vehicle

V - Vehicle (ground)

Water

W - Water Surface and Underwater combined

Aircraft

Z - Piloted/Pilotless Airborne vehicles combined
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