Northrop Grumman gets $99.9 million contract to install Harris in-line data encryption units
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., 19 Nov. 2015. U.S. military cyber security experts are acquiring in-line data encryption devices to enable military forces to track the locations of friendly and hostile forces under terms of a $99.9 million contract announced this week.
Officials of the Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO) at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., are asking the Northrop Grumman Corp. Aerospace Systems segment in Redondo Beach, Calif., to provide KGV-72 Type I programmable inline encryption devices (PIEDs) under terms of the contract. DITCO is part of the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).
The Harris Corp. RF Communications segment in Rochester, N.Y., designs and manufacturers the KGV-72 encryption devices. The contract calls for Northrop Grumman to install the devices in military systems. These encryption devices will provide the ability to process classified messaging traffic via the Joint Battle Command-Platform (JBC-P) program.
The potential 10-year contract is a five year base contract with five one-year option periods. The KGV-72 Type-1 programmable encryption device features a modular architecture with programmability and scalability to fit military link and Internet Protocol (IP) in-line network encryption applications.
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Developed as part of the Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade-and-Below (FBCB2) Type-1 Encryption Device (T1ED) Program, the KGV-72 is a high-grade security device that is compatible with existing and future Blue Force Tracking (BFT) terminals and transceivers.
It can encrypt and decrypt data 10/100 Ethernet and RS-422 data at rates of 9.6, 19.2, 38.4, 57.6, 76.8, and 115.2 kilobits per second. It can handle sensitive data sent in the clear, as well as encrypted data.
Blue Force Tracking is a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite navigation-enabled system that provides military forces with location information about friendly and hostile military forces. The system provides a common picture of the location of friendly forces relative to adversaries.
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The KGV-72 is secured with the programmable National Security Agency (NSA)-certified Sierra II encryption module. The device also supports programming of Suite-A and Suite-B algorithms, which enable the KGV-72 to perform in-line network encryption.
The KGV-72 operates seamlessly with installed FBCB2 remote computers and provides high-grade traffic data encryption. The system's front panel one knob and LED indicator. It is tested to MIL-STD-810F for military-rugged applications like secure force tracking. The unit measures 4.5 by 7.5 by 3 inches, weighs 3 pounds, and operates in temperatures from -40 to 70 degrees Celsius.
On this contract Northrop Grumman will do the work in Rochester, N.Y., and should be finished by November 2020.
For more information contact Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems online at www.northropgrumman.com, Harris RF Communications at http://rf.harris.com, or the Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization at www.disa.mil.
John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
