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USA Voice VINSON SAVILLE SINCGARS KY-58 → BID/250 →
Voice encryption unit
- wanted item
TSEC/KY-57 is a
wide-band secure voice (WBSV) encryption unit,
developed in the mid-1970s by the US
National Security Agency (NSA)
as replacement for
NESTOR cryptographic products
like the KY-38.
It was used with a wide range of military radios and over analogue
telehone lines (POTS).
As part of the VINSON family of devices,
it was the main crypto workhorse of the US Army during the 1980s.
Even today, many military radio sets and voice encryption units are still
backwards compatible with the KY-57.
Also known by its National Stock Number NSN 5810-00-434-3644.
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The KY-57 uses the GCHQ/NSA-developed
Type-1 SAVILLE cryptographic algorithm.
When used in combination with a radio transceiver, such as the
SINCGARS
non-ICOM RT-1439/VRC,
the KY-57 allows signal fades or losses for up to 12 seconds without losing
synchronization.
The KY-57 was eventually superceeded by the KY-99 that
offers newer - more advanced - cryptographic algorithms, but that was still
backward compatible with the KY-57.
Later SINCGARS
ICOM radios, such as the RT-1523,
had built-in KY-57 (VINSON) compatibility.
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KY-57 can encrypt both voice and data.
Voice is digitized using Continuous Variable Slope Delta modulation
(CVSD). 1
The output from the CVSD modulator is mixed with the output from the
internal key generator, which is initialised with a so-called
Traffic Encryption Key (TEK).
The resulting 16 kbps data stream requires a 25 kHz wide-band
radio channel, making it unsuitable for use on 3 kHz narrow-band
HF radio frequencies. For this reason, KY-57 is VHF/UHF only.
The device was first used in the early 1970s with the VRC-12.
The airborne version, with the same characteristics
albeit in a different enclosure, is known as KY-58.
The KY-57 was interoperable with the
British BID/250 (Lamberton).
It was sometimes used in combination with
HAVE QUICK frequency hopping.
Development of the KY-57 started in 1972, with the first devices being
available in 1975. it was widely fielded in the early 1980s and
was in production until 1993, when it was superceeded by more advanced
encryption units such as the KY-99 and radios with
integrated COMSEC [1],
such as the modern SINCGARS radios.
Nevertheless, many KY-57 devices remained in use for several decades,
which prompted the NSA in 2013 to start the VINSON/ANDVT Cryptographic
Modernization program (VACM) [2]. In 2014, the development contract
was awarded to Raytheon [3]. This resulted in
the KY-57M and KY-58M drop-in replacements, that were in production
until at least 2021 [4].
As they use the SAVILLE encryption algorithm,
they are still deemed secure, more than 50 years after their inception.
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All controls of the KY-57 are on the front panel. The three major connectors
are on the front panel as well. The only other connector is the power socket
which is located at the rear panel.
A detailed description of all connectors can be found on
Brooke Clarke's website.
A detailed description of the
U-229 AUDIO/FILL sockets can be found
here.
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- S1 - Operation (right)
OFF: Power OFF
ON: Power ON
TD: Power ON with Time Delay enabled (needed for satellite use)
- S2 - MODE (center)
P: Plain voice (pull out knob first)
C: Crypto
LD: Load keys manually
RV: Remote key loading (Remote Variable, OTAR)
- S3 - Key (left)
Z 1-5: ZEROIZE keys 1 to 5 (pull out the knob first)
1-5: Selection of the Traffic Encryption Key (TEK)
6: Select the Key Encryption Key (KEK) for OTAR-use
Z ALL: ZEROIZE ALL keys (pull out the knob first)
- R1 - Volume
This is an analog control (potentiometer) that is used for controlling
the audio volume of the unit. Turn right to raise the volume.
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- J1 - AUDIO (right)
Standard U-229 6-pin socket for the connection of audio equipment such as
a headset and/or microphone.
- J2 - FILL (center)
Standard U-229 6-pin socket for the connection of a US military DS-102
compatible key fill device such as the KYK-13.
- J3 - RAD (left)
19-pin connection to a suitable radio set,
such as the PRC-77 UHF FM rig.
- J4 - POWER (rear)
Standard US military power connector. Used for the connection of a battery
box or an external power adapter.
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The KY-57 has room for 6 front panel selectable cryptographic keys.
Keys 1 to 5 are the Traffic Encryption Keys (TEK). They are either loaded
manually, using a key fill device
such as the KYK-13
and the KOI-18,
or by means of Over The Air Rekeying (OTAR).
Key number 6 must always be loaded manually as it is the Key Encryption Key
(KEK) that is used for OTAR.
When loading the keys manually, the MODE selector (S2) should be placed in
the LD-position. When updating keys 1 to 5 remotely, S2 should be set to
RV (Remote Variable).
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The central piece of a VINSON installation is the KY-57 terminal
shown inthe image on the right. It can be used as a stand-alone device
– with a battery connected at the rear – but also as part of a
complete (secure) radio setup, in which case the radio is connected to the
RADIO connector
at the bottom left of the front panel.
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The image on the right shows a typical mounting bracket that was used
to mount the KY-57 inside a vehicle. The bracket is also suitable for
devices that are housed in a similar case, such as the KY-99
and the HYX-57 wireline adapter.
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The battery box shown in the image on the right can be attached to the rear
of the KY-57 and offers space for a standard 2 × 12V battery pack such as
the BA-590, BA-5590 or equivalent.
These battery packs consists of two 12V batteries, both of
which are wired individually to the 6-pin connector.
This way the equipment can use them eiter in parallel (12V) or series (24V).
In the KY-57 they are used in series (24V).
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The HYX-57 wireline adapter allowed two KY-57 units to be interconnected
via a 2- or 4-wire telephone line, up to a distance of 16 km (10 miles).
In case longer distances were required, multiple HYX-57 units could be
cascaded.
➤ More information
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A radio set can be connected to the
RADIO connector on the front panel
of the KY-57, by means of a suitable radio cable, such as the one
shown in the image on the right. It has a 19-pin connector at
the KY-57 end, and a connector for the radio set
at the other end. In most cases this will be a 5- or 6-pin
U-229.
The radio cable shown here is rather short, which means that the
KY-57 had to be placed very close to the audio connector of the radio.
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A regular mulitary handset with U-229 connector, such as the
H-250/U shown in the image on the right, should be connected to the AUDIO
connector (AUD) at the front panel of the KY-57.
In most cases this will be the handset that
was supplied with the radio set.
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When the KY-57 is switched off, the cryptographic keys are retained in memory
by means of a 6V backup battery that is installed
behind a small panel
at the bottom of the device.
In the past, a BA-590 battery was used, but this has since been
superceeded by the BA-5590, which is available from several suppliers in the US.
Users in other countries may have difficulty sourcing this battery, as it contains
Lithium and is not allowed to be shipped by air mail.
➤ Datasheet
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Cryptographic keys must be loaded into the KY-57 by means of a
DS-102 compatible key tape reader,
such as the KOI-18 shown in the image on the right,
or a key transfer device like the KYK-13 shown below.
The KOI-18 has the advantage that it can transfer key of unlimited length.
It works by connecting the KOI-18 to the FILL socket of the KY-57 and
pulling an 8-level punched paper tape through the reader.
The key is not stored in the KOI-18 as it does not have a memory.
➤ More information
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Key transfer device
KYK-13
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In most cases, the KOI-18 tape reader shown above was used to load
the cryptographic key into a key transfer device like the KYK-13 shown in the
image on the right. The KYK-13 can hold up to 6 keys simultaneously, which
can then be selected with a 6-position rotary switch at the front of the device.
The KYK-13 was then used to transfer the key(s) to one or more KY-57
devices in the field.
➤ More information
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Although the KY-57 is a relatively old device, it is still very difficult -
if not impossible - to find a complete and working unit. This is
mainly due to the fact that some KY-57 units might still be in operation with
the US military or their Allies. Furthermore, later cryptographic devices,
such as the KY-99 and some
SINCGARS radios, are
often backward compatible with the KY-57.
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In the late 2000s however, demilitarized versions of the KY-57 sometimes showed
up on auction sites such as Ebay. Although the internal electronics have all
been removed from these devices, they are still cosmetically complete and do
look nice in any cryptographic collection.
The image on the right shows an example of such a demilitarized KY-57 unit.
All PCBs have been removed from their sockets and the flex wiring has been
cut at various places.
With some effort, it would be possible to convert the unit into a demonstrable dummy.
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At the top left of the front panel of the KY-57 is a
6-pin U-229 connector (actually an U-283/U male panel mount)
for connection of the audio accessories, such as a handset or headset.
Below is the pinout of the AUDIO connector when looking into the
receptacle. ➤ More
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GND Ground SPK Speaker PTT Push-to-Talk MIC Microphone - ?
- ?
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GND Ground SWG Switched ground ACK Fill request acknowledgment DATA Fill data into KY-99 CLK Fill clock into KY-99 - ?
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Below is the pinout of the power connector at the rear of the KY-57
when looking into the receptacle. The pin numbers are printed
inside the receptacle. The device is suitable for connection of a BA-590
battery pack (or equivalent), which consists of two individually wired
12V batteries. As the KY-57 should be powered by 17 to 40V/DC,
the receptacle is internally wired in such a way — pin 2 is connected
to pin 4 — that the two 12V batteries are connected in series.
When the device is used with an external 24V source, power should be
applied to pins 1 (0V) and 5 (+24V).
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0V (1) 0V - 0V (2)
- unused
- +12V (1)
+12V (2) +24V - unused
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The HYP-57 adapber box is a simple device that converts the standard
5-pin 24V power wiring of a military vehicle to the 6-pin connector
of the KY-57. Below is the The wiring of the 5-pin receptacle at the
rear of the HYP-57, when looking into the receptacle.
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Device Voice encryption unit Purpose Secure speech over wideband radio Model KY-57 Years 1975-1993 Family VINSON NSN 5810-00-434-3644 Developer NSA Manufactuer Secure Communication Systems, Inc., Santa Ana (CA, USA) Predecessor NESTOR Successor KY-57M, KY-99, ANDVT Encryption SAVILLE FILL DS-102 Power 24V DC Battery BA-590, BA-5590, BA-3590, or equivalent Backup 6V, BA-1372/U, BA-5372/U Dimensions 200 × 140 × 77 mm Weight ?
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Device Modernized version of KY-57 Purpose Drop-in replacement for KY-57 Model KY-57M Years 2014-2021 Country USA NSN 5810-01-617-4664 Manufacturer Raytheon Predecessor KY-57 Successor KY-99, ANDVT
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- TM 11-5810-256-OP-2
Technical Manual TSEC/KY-57
Headqarters, Department of the Army, Washington, 1 December 1981. 1
- TB 11-5810-256-14
Technical Bulletin TSEC/KY-57
General maintenance information for COMSEC equipment TSEC/KY-57.
Headqarters, Department of the Army, Washington, 4 March 1985.
TM 11-5810-256-OP-6
Operating Procedures KY-57 WANTED
Operating Procedures for Communications Security Equipment TSEC/KY-57
(with HYX-57/TSEC) FM Secure Remote Communications.
Headqarters, Department of the Army, Washington, 12 May 1983.
- TM 11-5820-890-10-1
SINCGARS ICOM Ground Combat Net Radio
Headqarters, Department of the Army, Washington, 1 September 1992. 2
- TM 11-5820-890-10-3
SINCGARS NON-ICOM Ground Combat Net Radio
Headqarters, Department of the Army, Washington, 1 September 1991. 2
- TB 11-5820-890-10-3
Operation of Wireline Adapter Cable CX-13310/VRC
Headqarters, Department of the Army, Washington, 1 April 1993. 2
- CSESD-14
Communications Security Equipment System Document for TSEC/KY-57/58
NSA, July 1984. Unclassified parts only. #CM303091/C.
- VINSON equipment test procedure
Applicable to KY-57, HYX-57, HYP-57 and KY-58.
NSA, date unknown. Unclassified parts only. #CM303091/E.
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Saturday 18 September 2010. Last changed: Tuesday, 30 April 2024 - 20:00 CET.
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