C4 Marine Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Nally - KMI Media Group

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the Commander’s Digital Assistant under Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) Increment 2. Targeted at the commander level and those with at least a Secret level clearance, it enables users to pull classified data while being able to use unclassified mode as well as communicate with soldiers who might have unencrypted smart phones. “We have done some demonstrations where they have UAVs transmitting live imagery data over the network back down to these devices in the hands of the commander which is extremely powerful,” said Guzelian. These devices have been shipped to users since 2008, and the same devices with no modifications will also be used to supply WIN-T. A recent update has been a new HMI. “It’s very user-friendly,” said Guzelian. “Some people say that it’s iPhone-like, but I think it’s better, with clear big icons and a very easy bounce between classified and unclassified buttons with a one button to jump into your mail, another to view a document. I like it better than my BlackBerry, but then I am biased.” For data at rest, the ProtecD@R product line is at the cusp of certification, and for implementations close to the front line, the ProtecD@R Embedded is offered. Guzelian said, “It is a solid state hard drive for reliability in tactical environments and an encryptor that is certified for Secret or Top Secret, but it is also in a pretty small form factor. We will do all the testing for NSA in February and submit all of our test reports at the end of April. People are ordering the uncertified prototype unit so they can test them in their environment and vehicle networks. We have delivered prototypes to just about every manufacturer of tactical vehicles, whether UAVs, MRAPs and all the JLTV prototypes, and it is being bid by GCV vendors.” Other variants in the family include a high-speed version for Boeing on its P-8 Poseidon multi-mission aircraft contract, which encrypts as it stores at 40Gbps, the fastest encryption available in the world. CoalItIon InteroPeraBIlIty One of the greatest challenges facing U.S. forces deployed in the field is interoperability, not least with allies who in many cases 30 | MIT 15.1 Mike Guzelian cannot have access to legacy Suite A CCI Type 1 communications. This issue that has become increasingly apparent in current operations, where the United States is working closely with allies often far removed from traditional alliances such as NATO. To overcome this problem, Harris RF Communications developed the RF-310M handheld tactical radio, which hosts NSA’s new Suite B encryption standard in a Type 1 manner while keeping it as a non-CCI item, thus enabling it still to interoperate with standard U.S. military radios. The first $9.6 million order for the RF- 310M-HH was announced in October and the radio is now being provided to members of the International Security Assistance Force through the DoD Coalition Readiness Support Program. “This is one of the principal applications for Suite B—to simplify coalition interoperability. At the same time, we’re seeing interest in the radio from branches within DoD and the National Guard, for applications such as base security and first responder interoperability,” said Richard Rzepkowski, vice president of communications security products, Harris RF Communications. The cryptographic core of the RF-310M radio is based on Harris’s Sierra IIB encryption hardware, utilizing the complete new set of algorithms known broadly as Suite B. Todd Moore, director of communications security product management at Harris, explained: “The algorithms cover functions such as encryption, authentication and key management. This technology in the RF-310M provides non-CCI encryption for Secret and Below traffic. Sierra IIB has been NSA certified for Secret and Below applications. The RF-310M radio utilizes the Suite B algorithms based on the current waveform. For example, the RF-310M has implemented a VHF/UHF Line-of-Sight waveform that utilizes AES traffic encryption.” Other future waveforms will implement additional algorithms, including asymmetric keying. The AN/PRC-152 and AN/PRC-117G radios are dual-mode radios that contain both Suite A and Suite B waveforms and provide interoperability with the RF-310M Suite B radio and other legacy devices. Suite A algorithms are U.S.-owned protocols. They are highly protected and are designated classified and cannot be provided without the appropriate U.S. government permissions. In contrast, Suite B algorithms are commercial algorithms that can be downloaded from the Web. Harris’ PRC-152 and PRC-117G radios have implemented both the Suite A and Suite B algorithms and are thus dual mode radios. To achieve this designation, these radio implementations have been evaluated by NSA and meet the requirements to transfer up to Top Secret information for voice, data and networking. In contrast, the RF- 310M has only implemented the Suite B algorithms, and its implementation has been NSA-certified to support Secret and Below communications. With a common key and interoperable waveform, the AN/PRC-152, AN/PRC-117G and RF-310M can communicate and interoperate with each other. Whereas Harris’ Type 1 Suite A radio utilizes the Sierra II, NSA certified a Suite B-only variant of the Sierra II (called Sierra IIB). Sierra IIB has been embedded in the RF-310M radio. For export markets Harris developed a programmable export crypto engine/module called Acropolis II several years ago, which also supports the Suite B algorithm set and has been embedded in the RF-7800M Multiband Networking Radio. The recent award of the Force XXI Battle Command <strong>Brig</strong>ade and Below-Blue Force Tracking-2 (FBCB2-BFT) program to Northrop Grumman, as prime contractor, included the Harris KGV-72 programmable inline encryption devices. These devices will be installed onto BFT platforms and in network operations centers to provide enhanced (Type 1) information security, which hitherto has not be possible with FBCB2 over SATCOM. “Our devices are also fully interoperable with the next-generation BFT-2 software release. The KGV-72 will enhance information security across the BFT network, which includes more than 85,000 terminals,” Moore said. While the KGV-72 implements only U.S. Type 1 security at present, it is software upgradeable to also support the Suite B algorithms. With the use of Sierra IIB technology, a Suite B coalition version of the KGV-72 could also be quickly developed to be supplied to coalition partners, much the same way the RF-310M handheld radio is being supplied today. O Contact Editor Harrison Donnelly at harrisond@kmimediagroup.com. For more information related to this subject, search our archives at www.MIT-kmi.com. www.MIT-kmi.com
Virtualizingthe Future as the mIlItary moves strongly to “vIrtual” systems to aChIeve Cost savIngs and greater Control, Industry exPerts examIne the Challenges and oPPortunItIes. Technology, like the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, is constantly changing and evolving. Successful CIOs and commanders adapt and embrace change and innovate in response. Server virtualization has been around for over 35 years and was brought to the mainstream Intel x86-market in the late 1990s. Today it has permeated into all aspects of IT, from the servers to desktops as well as mobile devices. The increased adoption can be directly traced to the benefits of increased efficiency, greater flexibility and increased speed of action. According to the website IT Dashboard Information (it.usaspending.gov), the Department of Defense is planning on spending approximately $36 billion on IT in 2011. Of that number, about $23 billion is being categorized as IT maintenance. That means that less than 40 percent is being spent on innovation. With DoD facing tighter budgets, department and agency CIOs are looking for ways to increase the innovation side of the equation. Increased efficiency and cost savings are by-products of virtualization—fewer devices means less energy and space consumed by heating and cooling systems as well as reduced rack space. This reduction allows an increase in production by packing more punch into the same space, be it onboard a submarine, an aircraft, a ship or Humvee. Examples include the Distributed Common Ground System-Army, where a reduction of six to one on the number of severs shipped translates into less inter-theater airlift and less fuel con- (Editor’s Note: Military Information Technology recently posed the following question to some of the leading companies in the field of network systems: What benefits and potential drawbacks do you see in the current military drive toward server, desktop and other forms of virtualization? Following are their responses.) Flexibility and Speed By David Hunter, Chief Technology Officer VMWare The increased adoption of server virtualization can be directly traced to the benefits of increased efficiency, greater flexibility and increased speed of action. sumption. Other secondary effects include reducing generators fuel requirements, which manifests into reduced risk to sailors, soldiers, <strong>Marine</strong>s and airmen by reduced demand for fuel convoys. For any commander, the ability to remain flexible is paramount in order to take advantage of the opportunities presented in the battlespace. For CIOs, the old days of rigid, lengthy IT deployments are a thing of the past with fully virtualized infrastructures. Virtualization provides the ability to rapidly deploy new instances of existing applications based on demand. This provision is now measured in hours versus weeks. Upgrading and patching of operating systems is simplified, as well as the ability to more quickly rebase line applications to a previously known safe state is realized. On the pace of execution front, the question for CIOs and commanders is not if the network is going to be attacked, but how do we operate in an environment that is not 100 percent assured. In a virtualized environment, the speed at which the infrastructure can be deployed and rearranged is vastly greater than in a physical world. This translates directly into an increase in confidence of networked assets. This applies equally to server, desktop and mobile virtualization. Having the ability to quickly re-establish a potentially compromised coalition network without the requirement to provision from the ground up will provide a clear advantage. According to a leading research firm, in 2009 the number of applications being deployed on virtual machines exceeded those on new physical hardware. Combine this with the appetite users have for consuming new applications and services for mobile devices, and the logical question is: How does virtualization help? The current proliferation of new enduser devices that are tending to be more mobile in nature will be a challenge. Think about how many servicemembers are carrying two or more phone devices today. The ability to provide unambiguous access from any end-point device, securely and efficiently, will be enabled by virtualization of these devices. Imagine a virtualized, multi-domain mobile tablet similar to today’s collapsed multi-domain desktop analyst workstation, which is a reality today because of virtualization. As with all innovation and change, there are challenges and adjustments in thinking that is required in order to achieve optimal success. CIOs and commanders alike need to focus on simplified management structures and balancing access versus security in a virtualized environment. With the innovation around ease of creation, the temptation to create because you can is there. This is known as “VM sprawl.” Without effective, simplified management frameworks and policies, VM sprawl can escalate out of control quickly. Think about what happens when servicemembers’ mobile devices are virtualized and what it will be like when each of those cell phones will have multiple VMs on them. Getting a handle on the management, oversight and configuration control is a challenge that needs to be addressed. www.MIT-kmi.com MIT 15.1 | 31
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C4 Marine Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Nally - KMI Media Group

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