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ITT unveils GhostRider encryption device capable of securing US Army smartphones

That may look like a Motorola Atrix Dell Venue, but it's actually something known as the GhostRider -- a new encryption device that could go a long way toward securing the Army's smartphones. Developed by defense company ITT, this revamped handset would allow military personnel to transmit secure text messages and phone calls over the Army's network, even if they're out on the battlefield. All they'd have to do is place their personal phones next to the GhostRider, tap and hold its touchscreen to activate the security features and begin texting away. When another GhostRider user receives an SMS, he or she would have to enter a pass code before reading it. The phone's security mechanisms, meanwhile, have been certified by the cryptographers at the NSA, which would certainly help justify its $1,500 price tag. The handset's display, meanwhile, looks awfully similar to the Army's Nett Warrior platform -- an Android-based OS that features a host of mapping functions designed explicitly for war zones. Officials unveiled the latest incarnation of Nett Warrior at the recent Association of the US Army gala in DC, though the platform's creators are still looking for the appropriate commercial device to host it -- unless, of course, GhostRider's software replaces it altogether. "We think Nett Warrior should be something like this," ITT vice president Richard Takahashi told Wired. "This can be the smart device." March past the break for more information, in ITT's jargon-laced PR.

Update: Thanks to readers who spotted it's a Venue rather than an Atrix. Our eyes must have been temporarily scrambled by the enemy. Just to be clear -- it's not the handset that's different, only the peripheral.

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ITT to showcase aerospace and defense technologies at the 2011 AUSA Annual Meeting

Company to unveil the new ITT Exelis brand in anticipation of the pending spinoff of its defense business from ITT Corporation

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2011 - ITT Corporation's (NYSE: ITT) Defense & Information Solutions business will showcase its industry-leading aerospace and defense products and services at the 2011 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington D.C., Oct. 10-12, 2011.

At the same time, while maintaining its heritage of innovation and customer focus, the company will unveil the new ITT Exelis brand as it prepares to spin-off from ITT Corporation in a previously announced plan to separate into three distinct, publicly traded companies. The separation will be completed Oct. 31, 2011.

With a focus on customer relationships and innovative solutions, the new ITTExelis will deliver products and capabilities in C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance)-related products and services, as well as technical and information services.

ITT Exelis will function as an agile, efficient and reliable supplier of critical systems, components and services for core U.S. government customers and its growing allied international government and commercial customer base. The new company will hold leading positions in the areas of C4ISR-related electronics; air traffic management; secure, integrated data and voice networks; composite aerostructures; and logistics and technical services. The future ITT Exelis will also maintain core strengths in radios, night vision and soldier-protection systems that continue to evolve and serve the warfighter.

"This fall is a particularly exciting time for us as we evolve to become ITT Exelis," said David Melcher, president of ITT Defense & Information Solutions, and future CEO of ITT Exelis. "There's no greater opportunity for us to showcase our new company and brand than at AUSA, the premier land warfare conference for our largest customer. Throughout the week we'll be demonstrating our latest solutions for our domestic and international customers and displaying our capabilities as an agile provider of rapidly fielded, affordable products and services."

Some highlights of the next-generation technologies on display within the ITT Exelis AUSA exhibit include:

§ Displays of the company's new secure GhostRider smartphone and secure GhostWarrior tablet approved for use in secret-and-below applications using commercial-off-the-shelf hardware combined with ITT's National Security Agency- certified secure network processor.

§ A display of the company's Hands-Free Audio Video Capturing and Transcribing Transmission System, the newest in ITT technology combining TASERTM International's AXONTM audio and video capabilities with the ITT Spear Net radio. This innovative merging of technologies enables the end user to focus on its mission while simultaneously capturing information in digital video and audio.

Displays of the Rifleman Radio, a standalone handheld radio designed to communicate sensitive but unclassified real-time, intra-squad communications by the dismounted soldier. The Rifleman Radio allows the soldier to participate in voice networks and automatically transmits position location information to the battlefield with embedded GPS.

Industry-leading sensor-fused night vision goggle technology that provides the warfighter greater situational awareness with the ability to receive imagery into a goggle, allowing the operator to identify friendly locations, decrease fratricide on the battlefield and improve command execution.

Demonstrations of the company's Enhanced Advanced Geospatial Imagery Library Enterprise Access System. It is a deployable, enterprise-ready imagery management and dissemination system supporting contingency operations that dramatically reduces the time needed to deliver crucial geospatial intelligence anywhere in the world.This system helps the warfighter find accurate geospatial data to make fast, effective decisions that impact mission success.

A display of the CRUX(Create, Regulate, Utilize, eXport) on-board vehicle power generator that provides more than double the electricity of conventional alternators.It supplies enough power, even at engine idle, to run the full range of vehicle-mounted electronics. The CRUX generator is the only product that delivers the power of a generator in the footprint of an alternator, saving fuel and simplifying logistics.

Demonstrations of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system, the cornerstone technology of the Federal Aviation Administration's Next Generation Air Transportation initiative that will transform the ground-based air traffic control system of today to a more efficient, satellite-based system.

Also on display within the company's exhibit will be an MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle featuring:

§ ITT's Global Network On-The-Move Active Distribution, or GNOMAD, a proven Ku-band satellite communications system that extends a robust, secure, mobile network to soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines operating at the forward edge of the last tactical mile.

§ SINCGARS (Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System,) with the second channel enabling SideHat radio solution, offers rapid, affordable, and interoperable wideband network communications for Early-Infantry Brigade Combat Team deployments. With more than 350,000 SINCGARS capable of easily adding SideHat, the currently deployed system provides an economical second channel for both mounted and dismounted soldiers on the battlefield to exchange vital voice and data, including video and position location information, simultaneously and in real time.

§ The CREW 3.3 Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED), the next generation of CIED technology development. This new system moves from the current platform-based solutions designed solely to defeat improvised explosive devices to one that also includes data collection and networking sensors.This improves awareness of the battlespace and increases the ability to detect and rapidly respond to threats.

To learn more about ITT Defense programs on display at AUSA, please visit: http://defense.itt.com/ausa2011. The ITT exhibit is located in Hall D/E, booth 6417.

Follow ITT Defense on Twitter to get updates on the latest developments and news at the show @ITTDefense.


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