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Voice and data crypto unit
The SEC-15 was a voice and data crypto system developed
in the early 1980s by Tadiran in
Israel. It was intended for use in combination with
existing radio networks, such as Clansman and
the American VRCradios.
It was built according to specifications layed out by
the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), but was also used by
the US Army and a number of NATO countries. Due to its
shape and connector at the rear, the unit fits in the
same space as the R-442 receiver.
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The image on the right shows a typical SEC-15 crypto
unit. It is housed in the same case as the earlier SEC-13 and
the R-442 receiver, making it easier to add it to an
existing setup. It has the common 18-pin connector at
the back.
Rather than lamps, LEDs are used on the front panel. At
the top are LEDs for TRANSMIT, ALARM and RECEIVE.
Immediately below that, is the crypto selector with a
red (CLEAR) and green (SECURE) LED. To the right of that
is the selector for the MODE of operation. It is also
used for entering and erasing the current key settings. |
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Below the CRYPTO and MODE selectors is a door that gives
access to some additional controls. Behind the door is a
selector for the current key (0-9), an ERASE button
(used when the MODE-selector is set to ERASE) and
baudrate settings for the terminal and data connection.
Using the table on the inside of the door, the baudrate
can be set between 50 and 2400 baud. A switch allows
selection between ASCII (7-bit) and BAUDOT (5-bit)
encoding.
At the bottom of the front panel are two large military
connectors. One is used for connecting the SEC-15 to a
(radio) modem, whilst the other one allows the
connection of a (TTY) terminal.
At present, no further information about this crypto
unit is known. It is possible that it was the successor
to the SEC-13 but
it is also possible that it was aimed at a different
application as it supports both voice anddata.
It is clear that they were scheduled to be replaced from
1995 onwards by more modern equipment such as the SINCGARS radios.
Nevertheless, they were in service well into the 2000s.
Although they were used until recently, they sometimes
show up on the European surplus market, which is also
were the device shown here was found. If you have
additional information about any of the Tadiran crypto
devices, please contact us. |
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