The 24-hour time system is used for search operations, as it dispenses with the use of a.m. or p.m. and thus reduces the risk of error. It is always used in radio communication.
- The time is written as four figures.
- The first two figures of the group represent the hours past the previous midnight from 00 to 23 inclusive.
- The second two figures of the group represent the number of minutes past the hour from 00 to 59 inclusive.
- The group is always followed by the word “hours”.
| Time | 24-Hour representation | Spoken form |
|---|---|---|
| 12 midnight | 0000 hours | zero hundred hours |
| 12:07 am | 0007 hours | triple zero seven hours |
| 1:00 am | 0100 hours | zero one hundred hours |
| 10:00 am | 1000 hours | ten hundred hours |
| 5:14 pm | 1714 hours | seventeen fourteen hours |
| 11:59 pm | 2359 hours | twenty-three fifty-nine hours |