Day 3 SINCGARS

SINCGARS - Single Channel Ground and Airborn Radio System

This is where I like to imagine I have a level of expertise. The SINCGARS radio is a highly modular, though heavy and power hungry, communications device. It is capable of communicating from 20 miles on a standard whip antennae (Omnidirectional) to hundreds of miles with Line Of Sight. 2 units in a standard hummer can be used as a mobile rebroadcast station with relative ease. They are capable of channel hopping at a rate of about 100Hz. This is relatively slow now, but should provide enough security for most applications. This channel hopping can be programmed directly from the interface. These devices are also capable of digital encryption. Most of the SINCGARS I was exposed to in the Army were the older model which required external encryption fills. This encryption is done through a device called a KY-57. It's a little black box that opens like a laptop. It has a keypad, and I believe 6 extra buttons which are labeled with 3 character abreviations, though it may have 8. it's been some years since I looked at one. They are labled KY-57 on the device, however. There is also a dumb key called a fill device. I forget its exact military designation, but it distinctly resembles a claymore plunger with a microphone plug attatchment. These devices are plugged into the front of the SINCGARS radio while the knob is set to fill. For exact operations guidelines on encryption filling, see FM 11-1 as well as other operating procedures. If you find a Fill Device, likelyhood is it will already have a key in it. You cannot, however, change the key on the fill without another device. The key can be filled through a SINCGARS that has not been zero'd or through the KY-57. They KY-57 is capable of creating a key by itself, as well as programming channelhopping and other useful things. If you find one of these, it's black gold. The device is highly classified and the only people who have them are communications brigades, 1 per brigade, and they will usually be at Battalion Command.

If you are lucky enough to find a newer SINCGARS in the US, these actually have all of the functionality of the KY-57 built in. For security purposes, you will want a fill device to transfer keys, but all SINCGARS are capable of syncing across the air, so it's not necessary. Just keep in mind that the key could be intercepted.

The reason why I bring this up, in the case of TEOTWAWKI, the government will try to make a last stand. This means abandoned Hummers will be laying around all over the place. In the event of societal collapse, this is perhaps the most useful device you will find in a militar vehicle, and almost every single one will have at least one.