A World Turned Upside Down - A Military R&D Quest

2033 Internal Report - Encryption Coding Scheme

The current SINCGARS operates across 2000 channels, with 20 kHz channels. As a part of the encryption techniques, it cycles between these channels at a rate of 64 channels per second. The distribution of channels is determined by a pseudorandom generator, which is synced across all radios. Similarly, our model uses the same technique. The main difference, however, is that we have added far more back-channel encryption. Utilizing a homomorphic encryption scheme layered with other standard encryption methods, we have managed to achieve roughly the same level of encryption while only switching channels at a rate of 40 channels per second. At this time, based on in-lab tests, a dedicated vehicular setup is required in order to decrypt our communications assuming notable SIGINT failures.

2033 Internal Report - SINCGARS Case Design

Creating the case for the radio has been a more involved process than originally intended. Upgrading to a more elastic-plastic to better handle blunt force issues, attempts were made to convert the solid mass into a hexagonal lattice in order to reduce weight. This proved to be more challenging than originally intended, requiring us to utilize the developments of three different universities in order to achieve a modicum of success. Since then, we have been working on adding additional reliability to the fabrication process, along with various internal supports and finishes. While the current model is undergoing operational testing, we are confident that only minimal work remains for the mark 1 casing. Currently, we achieve a similar level of ruggedness to the current design, while also reducing the mass from 3.5 kilos to 3 kilograms.

2033 Internal Report - SINCGARS API Documentation

Development for a standard API interface has proven to be a notable success. By creating a number of standard template libraries that operate neatly with C++, Python, and a few other coding languages, we have notably simplified the development of alternate variants or future add-ons. Considerable work has gone into making the API modular, with strict coding limitations requiring less than three dependencies per header file. While this has complicated the development of the SINCGARS encryption scheme, causing significant latency for channel switching rates above 40 per second, it does also mean that Black Research Horizons has been able to interface with the software easily. Moreover, the API as it is has reached the end of development which would assist with future developments. Currently, exploratory work is going into creating a neural network to facilitate battlefield adaptation, but it is unknown if this is actually viable or not.

2033 External Report - Black Research Horizons Cooperation

With effort being put into integrating the SINCGARS model with a new infantry armor, we did have to work with another corporation that had taken the contract. The Hazardous Environmental Integrated Infantry Armament (HEIIA) is purely meant for operating in heavily irradiated or highly toxic environments. With advanced filtration systems capable of screening out most chemical and biological weapons, and featuring a two-hour internal air supply, the lacking ballistic protection is compensated by being orders of magnitude more suited for operations in radiated environments. Additionally featuring an advanced HUD which connects to our SINCGARS system enabling unprecedented information sharing among squadmates.

It, however, does not work. At this time, they are experiencing significant electronic shorting issues due to poor wire bonding in their chips. While normally this wouldn't be an issue, the EMP shielding can cause ESD issues to spread, creating cascade failures. This is a solvable issue but will require considerable work on their end. As a result, they are willing to offer $40 million if we further simplify the armor integration capabilities of our radio within the year.

As for the company itself, Black Research Horizons is a company that tends to design equipment that is heavily classified. As a result, it has developed a culture of immense paranoia. Simply entering their facilities requires a facial recognition scan, retinal scan, and fingerprint scan. There is also considerable monitoring of employees both at work and at home, with even the most minor of security issues resulting in heavy-handed lawsuits and legal action. Thankfully, there have not been many issues working with them, primarily due to their insistence on working remotely, which we have been happy to do.

2033 Internal Report - Development Goals

With the very first iteration completed, there is considerable room for improvement. And we have identified a variety of areas to work on.

You have 4 Points to spend, one of which is locked:

[X] General Improvements - While it does limit our creativity, the simple fact is there are multiple efficient methods of improvement, ranging from refining encryption algorithms, to field testing various units, and more. (-1 Point)
[] Cryptographic Algorithms - By utilizing cutting-edge algorithms along with novel techniques, we could further improve encryption to the point that dedicated facilities would be needed to decrypt transmitted signals. (-1 Point, Repeatable)
[] Case Design (Sturdiness) - Focusing on improvements in the case and internal support structure would possibly allow for useful improvements in the physical toughness of the design. (-1 Point)
[] Case Design (Weight) - A similar focus, but on reducing mass, there is a fair bit of room for improvement. From reduced usage of wires, and shaving down internal parts to the minimum. (-1 Point, can be taken twice)
[] Neural Network Experimentation - While neural networks are somewhat experimental, they present an opportunity here. By including them in our design, we could allow various models to self correct their algorithms based on the most common use cases. (-1 Point)
[] Armor Integration - Black Research Horizons has clear limitations in their development ability, and as such have offered $40 million if we're able to simplify the physical ports needed to a direct bitstream connection. (-1 Point)