New radio stations for secure communication.
New radio stations for secure communication
Since the end of the Cold War, the Department of Defense and other U.S. federal agencies have not relaxed their COMSBC requirements, but have made them even more stringent. In implementing the COMSBC policy, they proceed from the fact that threats to U.S. national security have no boundaries and even threats posed by individuals must be taken into account. Unsecured communications remain an important source of intelligence for the enemy. COMSEC requirements are implemented in both existing and future communications systems.
The main trend in the development of secure radios for the US military is to reduce their size and create portable tactical stations with cryptographic protection of messages.
One of the leading companies in the development and production of such radio stations in the USA is Racal Communications. The US Armed Forces are armed with tactical radio stations AN/PRC139(v)(c) of this company. Initially, these stations were intended for the Air Force, but currently they are used in other branches of the armed forces and in special forces units. The security of communication in these stations is ensured by the built-in Type 1 encoder. A radio station of this type can interact with other tactical stations of the US and NATO armed forces, including SINCGARS stations. To ensure interaction, two clock rates of transmission are programmed: 12 kbps and 16 kbps for communication between agencies and between branches of the armed forces. The operating frequency ranges of the AN/PRC-139(v)(c) radio station are: 30-88 MHz, 136-174 MHz or 403-407 MHz. Other features of the station include: output power of 0.5 and 2 W, transmission of voice messages and data, the ability to dive into water to a depth of 20 m.
In addition to supplying radios to the US military, Racal is actively fulfilling orders from other federal agencies. Under contract with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it is developing a miniature portable radio station for secure communications, the MSHR (Miniature Secure Hardheld Radio). This station (pronounced «masher») can be considered to mark the emergence of a new progressive direction in the development of radio station technology for classified communications.
The MSHR is pocket-sized and weighs approximately 0.25 kg. The built-in Type 1 encoder implements two encryption algorithms and uses six replaceable keys. The station's operating range (136-174 MHz) can be programmed to 100 channels. Channel transitions are made in accordance with the Fed-Std-1023 (or VINSON) standard. The station can also be supplied with a covert surveillance kit consisting of a cordless earphone and a tightly attached antenna.
Racal's management believes that the development of tactical radios is not limited to their miniaturization. Software tools, in particular for processing digital signals, will play an increasingly important role in them. They will displace analog components. As a result of miniaturization, the size of the radio station can be reduced to the size of a credit card. Under a contract with the ground forces within the framework of the Land Warrior program, Racal is developing the SINCGARS radio station with the size of two PCMCIA cards.
The Special Operations Force is the most sensitive to communications secrecy. For some time, Harris RF Communications provided these units with radios that met special requirements. The need for secure military and non-military radio communications is constantly growing.
In response to the growing threat environment, the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) asked Harris to develop a new generation of secure portable tactical radios. In early 1995, USSOCOM awarded Harris a contract to develop the AN/PRC-138(v)x as a new standard tactical radio for the U.S. Department of Defense Special Operations Forces. The contract was awarded under the Improved Special Operations Manpack Radio System (ISHMRS) program. The program included the delivery of several thousand portable and vehicle-mounted radios to special operations forces. The new radios are expected to provide increased communications security compared to the AN/PRC-138 radios previously used by special operations forces and to have some additional features that remain classified.
A Harris spokesman could not say what new capabilities the AN/PRC-138(v)x will have, but he said it will enable special forces to quickly transition to using advanced technologies in combat for the first time in their history.
Harris, like Racal, believes that digital technology will be the basis of future radios. Digital signal processing is already widely used in them. The time when communication security was considered a separate function has passed. Digital signal processing is common to all functions performed by a radio station. At the same time, it is noted that progress in the field of software development for such radios with high communication security does not correspond to the development of hardware.
One of the important tactical radio stations for secure communications, developed by Harris, is the manpack radio station AN/PRC117 (C). This is a multi-band and multifunctional transceiver radio station. It operates in the range of 30-90 MHz with frequency modulation and 6 range 225-420 MHz with amplitude and frequency modulation. COMSEC requirements are implemented through compatibility with the NSA-certified encoder KU-57/58. Other features of the AN/PRC-117 (C) radio station include fast search for sources of radio interference and frequency hopping, operation within line of sight, scanning of working channels (in all ranges), output power in line of sight mode from 2 to 10 watts and in secure communication mode from 4 to 20 watts.
Although the AN/PRC-117(C) and AN/PRC138(v)x secure radios were developed and are supplied to the US military, Harris does not rule out the possibility of their civilian use in the near future.
Traditionally, it was believed that miniaturization of radio equipment and the most efficient use of its power were mainly requirements of the military and intelligence agencies. Currently, this situation is changing, and industrial and commercial users are beginning to play a major role. Several years ago, only the US National Security Agency (NSA) put forward requirements for information classification and protection equipment. Currently, the NSA acts as a partner with commercial and industrial firms and enterprises in developing such requirements and implementing them in equipment.
Racal and Harris RF Communications currently remain the main manufacturers on which the US military depends for providing tactical secure radio communications equipment.