NSA awards crypto card contract

The National Security Agency has awarded an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract for cryptographic cards that are the key component in providing secure classified voice communications for the Defense Department and other government agencies.

Rainbow Mykotronx, a Rainbow Technologies Inc. company, won the three-year IDIQ contract valued at as much as $33.6 million.

The award is a follow-on contract to a $15.3 million IDIQ for more than 60,000 cards that recently closed because its maximum was reached six months before the end of the contract.

The new IDIQ will enable the government to purchase more than 100,000 cards, said John Droge, a vice president for Rainbow Technologies. Rainbow's Fortezza Plus Cryptocard is used for securing classified voice traffic. The card holds a government classified cryptographic algorithm for the Secure Terminal Equipment platform, Droge said. STE provides secure voice, data and multimedia transmissions at 128 kilobits/sec over Integrated Services Digital Network or public switched telephone connections.

The card also stores user credentials, keys and digital certificates.

The new contract also is available to NATO and other coalition allies for secure communications, Droge said.