VINSON

{{Short description|Family of voice encryption devices}}

{{About|the encryption devices||Vinson (disambiguation){{!}}Vinson}}

{{Refimprove|date=March 2023}}

VINSON is a family of voice encryption devices used by U.S. and allied military and law enforcement, based on the NSA's classified Suite A SAVILLE encryption algorithm and 16 kbit/s CVSD audio compression. It replaces the Vietnam War-era NESTOR (KY-8/KY-28|28/KY-38|38) family.

These devices provide tactical secure voice on UHF and VHF line of sight (LOS), UHF SATCOM communication and tactical phone systems. These terminals are unclassified Controlled Cryptographic Items (CCI) when unkeyed and classified to the keymat of the key when going secure.

VINSON devices include:

• KY-57{{Cite web |title=NIA - NATO Information Assurance |url=https://www.ia.nato.int/niapc/Product/KY-100_107 |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=www.ia.nato.int}}
• KY-58{{Cite web |title=KY58 |url=https://www.jproc.ca/crypto/ky58.html |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=www.jproc.ca}}
• KY-68 {{fact|date=January 2016}}
• KY-99a (MINTERM)
• KY-100 (AIRTERM)
• KYV-2
• FASCINATOR

VINSON is embedded into many modern military radios, such as SINCGARS. Many multi-algorithm COMSEC modules are also backwards-compatible with VINSON.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}