U.S. Military connector specifications

Electrical or fiber-optic connectors used by U.S. Department of Defense were originally developed in the 1930s for severe aeronautical and tactical service applications, and the Type "AN" (Army-Navy) series set the standard for modern military circular connectors.

[1] Connectors usually consist of (i) a mating pair (plug and receptacle) each equipped with male (pin) or female (socket) contacts; note that at least one of the connector halves, or its contacts, should be floating to minimize mechanical stresses.

[2] Selection of connector alternatives that are not defined by military specifications (MIL-C or MIL-DTL) can use either designated performance specifications (MIL-PRF) issued by the Department of Defense (DoD) or by using Commercial Item Descriptions (CID) issued by the General Services Administration (GSA) pursuant to DoD 4120.24-M,[35] or by using standards developed by nationally and internationally recognized technical, professional, and industry associations and societies, collectively referred to as "Non-Government Standards Bodies" (NGSBs).

[36] Performance Specifications: These connector specifications are intended to describe product that is essentially the same quality previously defined by familiar military specifications and built under the DoD's Qualified Manufacturer List (QML) product/supplier controlled system rather than the more-stringent Qualified Product Line (QPL) system.

[35] These products may not be suitable for environmentally severe or critical, communication or tactical military applications; however the items may be an acceptable cost effective choice in less demanding military or commercial applications.