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Wideband secure voice encryption
- wanted item
BID/250 was a wide-band voice encryption/decryption module that was
used in combination with the Digital Master Unit (DMU) of a
UK Clansman
VRC353 radio.
It was developed in the late 1960s or the early 1970s and
implemented the highly secret
SAVILLE encryption alogorithm,
developed by the US National Security Agency (NSA)
[1].
BID-250 is also known as Lamberton and by its stock number
NSN 5810-999-645-0301.
The last BID/250 units were phased-out in 2011 [2].
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The DMU allowed digitized speech and data to be sent at 16 Kb/s over
wide-band VHF and UHF links. Secure conversations were only possible
if the BID/250 crypto module was present inside the DMU.
The crypto module replaced the blue cover plate at the center of
the DMU front panel.
Cryptographic keys were loaded into
the BID/250 by means of a standard key-fill device, such as the
KYK-13
and the KOI-18.
Due to the fact that the BID/250 used the
SAVILLE algorithm,
it was crypto compatible with
the American KY-57
(and the later KY-99).
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The units had an extremely long life span. Although BID/250 was
introduced in the early 1970s, some versions of it were still in use
in 2009. Between 2009 and 2011,
all BID/250 units were gradually phased-out when
Clansman was replaced by the new
Bowman communications system.
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At present Cryptom Museum has no BID/250 Lamberton unit in its collection,
which is why we are currently unable to show an image of it. We would very
much like to receive a complete unit and/or any kind of information about
it. If you think you can help, please contact us.
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© Copyright 2009-2013, Paul Reuvers & Marc Simons. Last changed: Monday, 14 May 2012 - 09:22 CET
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