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KY - 68
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KY-68
Digital Subscriber Voice Terminal

KY-68 is a ruggedized military grade telephone set with encryption and decryption facilities, also known as a crypto phone. It is officially described as a Digital Subscriber Voice Terminal (DSVT), but is also called Digital Secure Voice Terminal. The KY-68 uses the SAVILLE encryption algorithm and was developed for the US-Army and Navy in the late 1980s. It was introduced in 1992 [1] and used until 2008 [2]. The unit is also known by its National Stock Number (NSN) 5810010828404.

The image on the right shows a typical KY-68 unit, which is significantly larger than most ordinary phones. The reason for this is the rather large digital circuitry needed for digital communication and voice encryption, which is housed in the bottom section of the terminal. The unit shown here has been demilitarized.

The KY-68 was designed for secure voice communication in combination with a civil or military switch, using a data rate of 16 or 32 kbit/s. The unit can also be used in combination with Digital Non-secure Voice Terminals (DNVT).
KY-68 Digital Secure Voice Terminal

In the latter case, a warning tone indicates a non-secure connection. The tone is issued by the local switch and stops when the user at the other end picks up the handset. The KY-68 can also be used for secure communication between two identical sets that are connected back-to-back.

The price of the KY-68 in 1992 was US$4000. The accompanying HYP-71 power supply unit (PSU) had a price tag of US$1075 [1]. The KY-68 is currently being replaced by the Secure Terminal Equipment STE, which is backwards compatible with the STU-III but not with the KY-68.

The H-350/U handset is placed in a cradle on the left half of the KY-68. It connects to the unit by means of an U-283 connector (6-pin version of the U-229). The handset has a push-to-talk switch (PTT) that is only used when the unit is operated in half-duplex mode (e.g. over radio).

The hook-switch below the handset (visible in the image on the right) can be locked by pushing it down and rotating it clockwise. This should be done when the unit is used in combination with a headset. The US Navy is known to have used the KY-68 over EHF and SHF radio links.
Pressing the push-to-talk switch on the handset

A light-weight version of the KY-68, called the KY-78, is available for office use. Except for the ruggedized case it is identical to the KY-68. According to some (unconfirmed) reports [3], the KY-78 (and therefore also the KY-68) was compromised in the early 1990s. Nevertheless it was approved for SECRET-classified information. It was still in use in 2008 [2].