General Dynamics to Develop Mobile Secure PDA Phone for Government, Military, Homeland Defense Users

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., /PRNewswire/ -- General Dynamics C4 Systems, a
business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded an $18 million
contract by the National Security Agency (NSA) to design and develop a mobile
telephone/personal digital assistant. The Secure PDA Phone will provide
secure voice and data communications, including e-mail, web access, and file
viewing. The award is part of the Secure Mobile Environment (SME) program,
which calls for a single device for government users requiring "Type I"
security that also provides wireless access to the government's Secure
Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) for secure web-browsing and
messaging.
The Secure PDA Phone will operate via existing commercial cellular
networks and will have modular architecture for connectivity to a wide array
of wireless protocols such as the Global System for Mobile Communications and
Code Division Multiple Access. The Secure PDA Phone will interface with the
Department of Defense Public Key Infrastructure using the government's
standard Common Access Card.
"The Secure PDA Phone is the critical next-step to providing a robust and
secure link to the next generation battlefield communications network and will
be responsive to the government's global information grid," said John Cole,
vice president of Information Assurance for General Dynamics C4 Systems. "The
device will support the government's emerging secure communications standards
for homeland security and will be scalable to meet coalition government and
military requirements."
The Secure PDA Phone will interoperate with General Dynamics' Sectera(R)
Wireline Terminal and Sectera Secure Wireless Phone for GSM. Delivery of the
first Secure PDA Phone is expected in the second quarter of 2007.
General Dynamics C4 Systems is a leading integrator of secure
communication and information systems and technology. With more than 10,000
employees worldwide, the company specializes in command and control,
communications networking, space systems, computing and information assurance
for defense, government and select commercial customers in the United States
and abroad.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs
approximately 70,800 people worldwide and had 2004 revenue of $19.2 billion.
The company is a market leader in mission-critical information systems and
technologies; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions;
shipbuilding and marine systems; and business aviation.