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← ITT USA
Remote Control Unit
This small Remote Control Unit (RCU) was developed and made by
ITT in New Jersey (USA) around 1988.
It was part of a range of secure voice and data systems
that were delivered to Saudi Arabia (SA) for the country's integrated
C3I 1 Peace Shield 2 defense radar and communications system.
The device is also known as GL-7171 and by its National Stock Number
NSN 5895-01-331-0695.
Apart from ITT Industries Inc., the Remote Control Unit was also manufactured
by Exelis Inc. [1]
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The Peace Shield program was carried out by the Boeing Industrial
Technology Group (BITG), with Westinghouse and
ITT as subcontractors.
For this system, ITT
supplied a range of secure voice and data solutions,
that were used in airborne applications, such as in AWACS 3 ,
but also for mobile, ground and underground stations.
The image on the right shows a small Remote Control Unit (RCU) that was
developed by ITT
especially for the Peace Shield system. It's front panel
has a small LCD display, 6 push-buttons and a receptacle for a
Crypto Ignition Key (CIK).
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The system was connected to the actual crypto device via a
15-pin male sub-D connector
at the rear. The white and red push-buttons at
the left allows to user to select between clear and secure
speech (or data). A standard
DataKey KSD-64 Key Storage Device
is used as the CIK. In this case the CIK is used for encryption of the
encryption keys that are stored inside the main crypto unit.
The advantage of using a CIK is that it can be removed easily when the
crypto clerk leaves his desk, or when security is compromised. Once paired
with a crypto device, the CIK can not be used on another terminal. The
device shown here was manufactured around 1988 and was probably used in an
airborne environment or an underground command shelter, probably with
a KY-100.
In total, Peace Shield consisted of 164 sites with more then 1600
communication circuits [2].
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C3I = Command, Control Communications and Intelligence.
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Peace Shield I was installed in 1984. Peace Shield II was installed in 1991.
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AWACS = Airborne Warning and Control System.
➤ Wikipedia
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All controls of the RCU are at the front panel, which was probably mounted
in some kind of desk or was part of a larger control panel. User I/O is via
the small LCD panel at the top, and the four white buttons
at the right. Acoustic feedback is provided via the three large holes at
the bottom right, behind which a buzzer is mounted. The user inserts the
KSD-64 key into the receptacle at the bottom left and turns it 90° clockwise.
The internal microprocessor will then read its data.
The two buttons (red and white) at the left are then used to select the
desired mode of operation.
The RCU has no connections other than the
15-way male D-type connector at the rear,
through which it is connected to the main crypto unit. Voice
and/or data input and output are not present on the RCU. Any audio devices
are connected directly to the main cipher unit. Any cryptographic keys were
loaded directly into the main crypto unit by means of a
Key Fill Device like the
KYK-13.
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The keys inside the main crypto device were protected by means of a
so-called Crypto Ignition Key (CIK) that can be inserted either in the
main crypto device, or in the Remote Control Unit (RCU). Once the CIK is
installed and activated, the main crypto device can be used as intended.
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When new cryptographic keys are loaded into the crypto device, they are
protected by a long randomly generated Key Encryption Key (KEK) that
is stored on the CIK. As a result, the CIK can only be used on a
paired device and vice versa.
The image on the right shows the
KSD-64 Key Storage Device, that was used
with the main crypto device and with the RCU. It holds a small parallel
EEPROM 1 and is fully ruggedized. The same KSD-64 was also used on the
NSA's
third generation
Secure Telephone Equipment STU-III
and (optionally) with
the KY-100 voice terminal.
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In practice, the KSD-64 was not only used to hold the KEK, but for other
key types as well.
It was sometimes used to hold the actual keys, in which case it
became a Key Transfer Device (KTD), or Fill Key (FK). It could also
be used as a Master Key (MK) or an Activation Key (AK).
The function of the physical key was commonly identified by the
colour of the plastic tag that was chained to it.
➤ More about the KSD-64
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EEPROM = Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory.
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The RCU is housed in a metal enclosure that measure roughly
15 x 12 x 5 cm. The front panel is placed inside a mounting frame that is
17.5 x 7.5 cm. The interior can be accessed by removing two recessed screws
from the long sides of the front panel, and sliding off the metal case shell.
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The image on the right shows the interior of the RCU after the outer case
shell has been removed. At the center is a
metal frame that is bolted to
the front panel.
At either side of this metal frame is a multi-layer
Printed Circuit Board (PCB).
The board that is visible in the image holds the
interface and power circuits.
The big rectangular block
at the centre is a DC/DC converter. The large black
unit at the far right is the KSD-64 receptacle.
At the top left is the display
which is made by ITT and is housed in a TEMPEST proof enclosure,
milled-out of an aluminium block.
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Tuesday 15 November 2016. Last changed: Saturday, 24 February 2018 - 11:56 CET.
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