Army Planning $300 Million Cryptography Device Contract

The U.S. Army is seeking input from industry about its ability to build portable devices that soldiers will use to encrypt and decode communications to prevent eavesdropping by adversaries.

The Army issued a request for information Jan. 4 for the Next Generation Load Device-Medium (NGLD-M), which would replace current systems used to receive, store, manage and export electronic keys for cryptography. According to a Jan. 9 modification, the new device must meet the cryptographic modernization initiatives issued by NSA, and distribute products through the National Security Agency’s key management Infrastructure. “Medium” refers to the size of the device.

An Army depot technician checks an older cryptographic device for mechanical failures. The NGLD-M will replace these systems.

(U.S. Army/Steve Grzezdzinski)

Army ...