Enerdyne Technologies Inc., a ViaSat company, has announced the availability of an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) option for its EnerLinks family of digital data links.
The AES option is immediately available for EnerLinks II DVA (Digital Video over Analog), and will provide commercial grade, software based AES encryption using a 256 bit key. AES is an encryption algorithm routinely used to protect classified government and vital commercial transactions such as banking and financial data. As such, it is more than adequate to secure the line-of-sight (LOS) ISR downlink from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for almost all missions. While UAVs expand their role in assisting warfighters with new operational concepts and added technological complexity for surveillance and reconnaissance, in most cases their LOS data links are vulnerable. Based on commodity analog components, the links can be received with commonly available receiver systems, potentially compromising military operations and endangering lives. Digital data links add a level of complexity with multiplexing, and forward error correction that can neutralize simple receivers. AES-256 based encryption secures the link and has no impact on system latency.
The Enerdyne AES system uses password based keys that are not classified and that do not require cleared personnel to operate. Key management is vastly simplified using a password. Passwords may be distributed using secure military voice or data networks. In the event of a compromise, new passwords may be efficiently disseminated. EnerLinksII DVA system uses proven technology deployed in hundreds of manned and unmanned aerial systems (UASs). Outside of classified applications, EnerLinks systems using the DVA waveform are flown on the upgraded Sentry HP and Neptune UAS platforms. The EL-II DVA has also been selected for use on Insitu’s
