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List of military electronics of the United States

This article lists American military electronic instruments/systems along with brief descriptions. This stand-alone list specifically identifies electronic devices which are assigned designations (names) according to the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS) beginning with the AN/ prefix. They are grouped below by the first designation letter following this prefix. The list is organized as sorted tables that reflect the purpose, uses and manufacturers of each listed item.

JETDS nomenclature

All electronic equipment and systems intended for use by the US military are designated using the JETDS system. The beginning of the designation for equipment/systems always begins with AN/, which only signifies that the device has a JETDS-based designation (or name). When the JETDS was originally introduced as the unclassified Joint Army-Navy Nomenclature System (JAN), AN represented all Army-Navy electronic equipment. Later, the naming method was adopted by all Department of Defense branches, and others like Australia, Canada, NATO and more.

The first letter of the designation following AN/ indicates the installation or platform where the device is used (e.g. A for piloted aircraft). That means a device with a designation beginning "AN/Axx" would typically be installed in a piloted aircraft or used to support that aircraft. The second letter indicates the type of equipment (e.g. A for invisible light). So, AN/AAx would designate a device used for piloted aircraft with invisible light (like infrared or ultraviolet light) sensing capability. The third letter designates the purpose of the device (e.g. R for receiver, or T for transmitter). After the letters that signify those things, a dash character ("-") is followed by a sequential number that represents the next design for that device. Thus as one example, AN/ALR-20 would represent:[1]

  • Installation in a piloted aircraft: A
  • Type of countermeasures device: L
  • Purpose of receiving: R
  • Sequential design number: 20

So, the full description should be interpreted as the 20th design of an Army-Navy (or all Department of Defense) electronic device for a countermeasures signal receiver.

Due to the enormous number of United States and allied military electronic systems using the JETDS naming convention, the list has been split into two sublists. To ease navigation, below is a list of direct links to various tables in each sublist. The sublists are:

NOTE: Letters E, H, I, J, L, N, O, Q, R, X and Y are not used in the first-position of JETDS nomenclatures.

AN/:

A – Piloted aircraft systems

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  • AAx – Invisible light/heat radiation systems
  • ACx – Carrier (electronic wave or signal) systems
  • ADx – Radioactivity detection, identification, and computation (RADIAC) systems
  • AEx – Laser systems
  • AIx – Aircraft interphone/public address systems
  • AJx – Electromechanical/inertial systems
  • ALx – Countermeasures systems
  • AMx – Aircraft meteorological systems
  • APx – Radar systems
  • AQx – Aircraft sonar systems
  • ARx – Radio systems
  • ASx – Aircraft special-purpose/combination systems
  • AVx – Visual/visible light systems
  • AWx – Aircraft armament systems
  • AXx – Aircraft facsimile/television systems
  • AYx – Data processing/computer systems

B – Submarine-based systems

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  • BLx – Countermeasures systems
  • BPx – Radar systems
  • BQx – Sonar systems
  • BSx – Special-purpose/combination systems
  • BYx – Data processing/computer systems

C – Cryptographic (previously air transportable or cargo) systems

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  • CPx – Radar systems
  • CRx – Radio systems
  • CSx – Special-purpose/combination systems
  • CYx – Data processing/computer Equipment

D – Pilotless carrier systems

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  • DAx – Infrared systems
  • DRx – Radio systems

F – Fixed (not moving) systems

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  • FGx – Telegraph/teletype systems
  • FLx – Countermeasures systems
  • FMx – Meteorological systems
  • FPx – Fixed radar systems
  • FRx – Radio systems
  • FSx – Fixed special-purpose/combination systems
  • FY – Data processing/computer systems

G – Ground-based systems

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  • GKx – Telemetering systems
  • GPx – Radar systems
  • GRx – Ground Radio systems
  • GSx – Special-purpose/combination systems
  • GVx – Ground visual/visible light systems
  • GYx – Digital processing/computer systems

M – Mobile systems

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  • MLx – Mobile countermeasures systems
  • MPx – Radar systems
  • MRx – Radio systems
  • MSx – Special-purpose/combination systems
  • MYx – Mobile data processing/computer systems

P – Portable systems

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  • PAx – Infrared systems
  • PEx – Laser systems
  • PPx – Radar systems
  • PRx – Radio systems
  • PSx – Special-purpose/combination systems
  • PVx – Visual/visible light systems
  • PYx – Data processing/computer systems

S – Water (surface ship or buoys) systems

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  • SEx – Laser systems
  • SLx – Countermeasures systems
  • SPx – Radar systems
  • SQx – Sonar systems
  • SRx – Radio systems
  • SSx – Special-purpose/combination systems
  • SYx – Data processing/computer systems

T – Transportable systems

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  • TAx – Infrared systems
  • TCx – Carrier (electronic wave or signal) systems
  • TGx – Telegraph/teletype systems
  • TLx – Countermeasures systems
  • TMx – Meteorological systems
  • TNx – Sound systems
  • TPx – Radar systems
  • TRx – Radio systems
  • TSx – Special-purpose/combination systems
  • TTx – Transportable telephone systems
  • TVx – Visual/visible light systems
  • TWx – Transportable armament systems
  • TYx – Data processing/computer systems

U – Utility systems

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  • UAx – Infrared systems
  • UDx – Radioactivity detection, identification, and computation (RADIAC) systems
  • UGx – Telegraph/teletype systems
  • ULx – Countermeasures systems
  • UPx – Radar systems
  • UQx – Carrier (electronic wave or signal) systems
  • URx – Radio systems
  • USx – Utility special-purpose/combination systems
  • UXx – Facsimile/television systems
  • UYx – Data processing/computer systems

V – Vehicular systems

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  • VPx – Radar systems
  • VRx – Radio systems
  • VSx – Special-purpose/combination systems

W – Water Surface and Underwater combined systems

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  • WLx – Countermeasures systems
  • WQx – Sonar systems
  • WSx – Special-purpose/combination systems

Z – Piloted/Pilotless airborne vehicle systems

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  • ZPx – Radar systems
  • ZSx – Special-purpose/combination systems

See also

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Lists

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References

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  1. ↑ Sterk, Richard (22 January 2024). "U.S. Military AN Nomenclature Made Easy". Defense and Security Monitor (Article). Retrieved 5 August 2025.

Bibliography

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The following reference material applies to both of the sub-list articles, and is listed here for continuity and context:

Further reading

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