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General Dynamics C4 / USA

The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) awarded General Dynamics C4 Systems a $18 million contract for the design and development of a secure mobile telephone integrated in a personal digital assistant (PDA). The product will provide secure voice and data communications, including e-mail, web access, and file viewing. The award is part of the Secure Mobile Environment (SME) program, which calls for a single device for government users requiring "Type I" security that also provides wireless access to the government's Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) for secure web-browsing and messaging. The new phone will interoperate with General Dynamics' Sectera® Wireline Terminal and Sectera Secure Wireless Phone for GSM. Delivery of the first Secure PDA Phone is expected in the second quarter of 2007.

The Secure PDA Phone will operate via existing commercial cellular networks and will have modular architecture for connectivity to a wide array of wireless protocols such as the Global System for Mobile Communications and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). The Secure PDA Phone will interface with the Department of Defense Public Key Infrastructure using the government's standard Common Access Card.

According to John Cole, vice president of Information Assurance for General Dynamics C4 Systems, the new device will integrate in the emerging battlefield communications network, by integrating with the US Defense Department's global information grid and support emerging secure communications standards for homeland security and coalition government and military requirements.