Marine Corps chooses military communications, trusted computing, and encryption equipment from PacStar

May 24, 2019
PacStar is providing military communications, network infrastructure, encryption, and trusted computing for the Marine Common Handheld (MCH) program.

By Mil & Aero staff

PORTLAND, Ore. – U.S. Marine Corps military communications experts needed network infrastructure, encryption, and trusted computing for the Marine Common Handheld (MCH) program. they found their solution from PacStar in Portland, Ore.

Officials of the Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) in Quantico, Va., have selected components from the PacStar Secure Wireless Command Post (SWCP) for the MCH program.

The PacStar Secure Wireless Command Post will provide secure, encrypted access to classified networks for smart mobile devices at the edge of the Marine Corps battlefield, and follow Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) encryption requirements to provide Marines with secure wireless access.

The Marine Common Handheld program involves a commercial acquisition for Marine Air Ground Task force (MAGTF), for secure mobile computing at the battle space tactical edge with CSfC encryption.

The Marines are asking for a modular, man-portable equipment suite that enables the warfighter to acquire targets quickly in day, night, and near all-weather visibility; control close air support aircraft, Marine artillery, and naval offshore gunfire.

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The MCH system will serve as a digital information processing and display system that provides integrated, on-the-move, secure, timely, and relevant command, control, and situational awareness to tactical combat, combat support, and combat service support commanders and digital military communications nodes.

PacStar will provide commercial, small-form factor, rugged networking modules based on the PacStar CSfC-encrypted SWCP system, which makes classified communications possible over commercial technologies in tactical and expeditionary operations.

PacStar is providing the Marines with IQ-Core Crypto Manager to speed set-up and configuration and reduce monitoring challenges, and makes fielding CSfC in tactical settings practical.

The program has the potential to acquire as much as $48 million in equipment under a five-year information technology contract through iGov Technologies Inc. in Tampa, Fla.

For more information contact PacStar online at www.pacstar.com, or Marine Corps Systems Command at www.marcorsyscom.marines.mil.

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