ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – U.S. Army trusted computing experts needed upgraded cryptographic key loaders with network connectivity to fill, transfer, issue, and manage cryptographic keys. They found their solution from Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, Nev., and General Dynamics Mission Systems in Dedham, Mass.
Officials of the Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., awarded contracts to Sierra Nevada and General Dynamics last Tuesday for the Next Generation Load Device-Medium (NGLD-M) program.
The companies will share $744.2 million over the next 10 years to develop updated National Security Agency (NSA)-certified cryptographic key load devices, including the simple key loader, to load cryptographic keys into electronic encryption machines.
The Army Contracting Command awarded the NGLD-M contract on behalf of the Army Project Manager Tactical Radios (PM TR) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
NGLD-Medium (NGLD-M) provides the same functionality as legacy fill devices while adding network connectivity to support over-the-network-key (OTNK) distribution. The NGLD-M will meet NSA certification requirements while providing a reprogrammable crypto subcomponent for future modernization requirements.
The NGLD-M also will be able to interface with the management client (MGC), NSA’s key management infrastructure (KMI), and mission planning management support systems (MPMSS).
The NGLD-M can connect to and receive key material, applications, and other cryptographic products by connecting to U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) networks and will contain standard interfaces to audio fill ports, RJ45 Ethernet ports, and standard Universal Serial Bus (USB).
Users of the NGLD-M, in addition to the Army, will be the U.S. Navy, Air Force, FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and state and local governments.
For more information contact Sierra Nevada Corp. online at www.sncorp.com, General Dynamics Mission Systems at https://gdmissionsystems.com, the Army Project Manager Tactical Radios (PM TR) at https://peoc3t.army.mil/tr/, or the Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground at https://acc.army.mil/contractingcenters/acc-apg/about-us/.
