Sandia’s Production Cryptographic Facility

Sandia’s Production Cryptographic Facility (PCF) has generated more than 80,000 encrypted SNSI data packages for government contractor Cryptographic Installation Capabilities (CICs). The PCF and CICs provide military Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver vendors with a mechanism to program units at their own facility, eliminating logistical delays and headaches seen in the past when all receivers were programmed at a central government location. Sandia is expanding the scope of this effort to generate data packages for the next generation of Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) vendors. (2600)

Five Sandia researchers were part of a team that received the 2016 Secretary of the Navy Innovation Catalyst Award and the Naval Sea Systems Command Warfare Centers’ Transformation Award. The team included Lon Dawson, Phil Turner, and Mitch McCrory from Center 6200 and John Mulder and Alex Roesler from Center 5600. These awards were given in recognition of the team’s significant contributions to deliver a cutting-edge capability to the Navy, eradicating a significant cyber threat by collaborating across disparate technology and organizational boundaries. (6200, 5600)

Under funding from US Special Operations Command and special operations forces of Canada, UK, and Australia, Sandia developed and delivered operational prototypes of an inexpensive portable wind sense system (see photos at top of page) to improve the shooting accuracy of special operations snipers. The system was evaluated by multinational snipers with various winds, distances, and terrains, greatly improving first-shot hit probability, including at night when traditional wind estimation methods do not work. The testing success was significant enough that it was briefed to the Secretary of Defense. (5300)