Explainer: Pentagon's 'AN' equipment designations
If terms like AN/SSQ-53B(V) have you boggled, Forecast International offers a decoder key.
RICHARD STERK,FORECAST INTERNATIONAL | JANUARY 27, 2024 08:00 AM ET
PENTAGON C4ISR
The U.S. Department of Defense’s nomenclature equipment identification system is formally known as the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS). But it's more commonly called the “AN” designation system, harking back to the days when AN stood for “Army/Navy.”
The first three letters following the “AN/” usually indicate:
The platform on which the equipment is installed
What type of equipment it is
The function, purpose, or application of the equipment
The (V) sometimes placed after a designation means that there are multiple configurations or models of that particular system, such as the AN/SSQ-53B(V) and AN/SSQ-53F(V). The various configurations would usually be listed as A, B, C, and so forth. An (X) usually indicates that the system is in initial development. A number in parenthesis following the designation, such as AN/SSQ-53F(1), indicates the number of variants of that particular configuration for that specific series or family of equipment.
https://www.defenseone.com/defense-systems/2024/01/explainer-pentagons-equipment-designations/393662/
