[Milsurplus] Navigation System

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

Mike,

That's an excellent example.  AN/VRC-12 was assigned before the first 
RT-66/67/68 and associated bits were actually fielded.  But the first hardware wasn't 
fielded until the mid 60's.  I suspect the nomenclature was just put on hold 
until half a generation later when they began looking for a replacement for 
the AN/GRC-3...8 family.

In a message dated 3/20/2006 3:10:11 PM Central Standard Time, 
kk5f at earthlink.net writes: 
> >It's not odd when you consider the number of the receiver,
> >versus the number of the complete set. that is what indicates
> >the chronology of registry in the JAN system.
> 
> That seems to be generally true, but not always.  
> 
> For example, the AN/VRC-12 series of FM radios appeared in the very early 
> 1960s, and consists of the RT-246/VRC receiver-transmitter, the RT-524/VRC RT 
> unit, and/or the R-442/VRC.  Various combos of these units combine to create 
> the AN/VRC-12, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49.  For the early 1960s, the RT-524 
> and R-442 assignments are consistent, and the VRC-43 to 49 also.  But the 
> RT-246 is actually more appropriate for gear appearing in the early 1950s (as is 
> "AN/VRC-12").  Some DoD paper-pusher evidently found an unused pair of numbers 
> and assigned them to the first component and system combo, while all the 
> following components and system combos got much higher and chronologically more 
> appropriate numbers.

Robert Downs - Houston
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