Harris Corporation wins US Navy contract for encryption device

Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, has received a $5.9 million order from the US Navy for its KIK-11 Tactical Key Loader -- a new lightweight device that simplifies the process of loading classified key fill material into military radios and other end cryptographic units. The initial delivery order was placed against a recently signed $59.7 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract.

The Navy is acquiring the Tactical Key Loader (TKL) for use with current and future deployed tactical radios. The TKL is a rugged, easy-to-use, small-form factor, single-button programmable device that quickly loads encryption keys into radios in the field.

Encryption keys are a crucial aspect of information security in the delivery of assured communications to military personnel. The key converts a sender's "plain-text" messages into encrypted form, then decrypts them at the receiver's end so the messages can be read or heard.

"The KIK-11 is an important new device that will enable forces at the tactical edge to quickly and dynamically load encryption keys into their radios, or change them when the original keys have been compromised," said Brendan O'Connell, president, Department of Defense business, Harris RF Communications. "The KIK-11 is portable, lightweight and fast to power-on, providing military forces with faster, more reliable and more secure communications."

Harris' proven Sierra II ASIC is the cryptographic module in the KIK-11 TKL platform. The KIK-11 is a crypto-modernization compliant replacement for the legacy KYK-13 fill device. The KIK-11 supports all legacy and modern key fill interfaces and protocols, as well as a USB/RS-232 and works with existing and future KMI-compliant key distribution architectures. Harris is expecting NSA certification in early calendar year 2012 with product availability soon thereafter.

Source: Harris

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