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REF ID:A522914 

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Co;py No. / 

UK/tJS COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY CONFERENCE 1953 

Report of the Operational Requirements Sub-Committee on 

OO!Dbined and NATO Requirements to~ Facsimile Security Equipments 

and for Cryptographic systems for Meteorological traffic 

' A. Facsimile Security 

· 1. The Sub-Committee took note that there viould·eventu.ally be .a combined 

U.JC. - u.s.·r~quirement for Black/White facsimile transmission aAtil ~gl:umse gf 

a•ths• • ..,. aal' Pig a: by secure means over long distance H.F. radio point-

~Oint c1zoouits.as weli as by broadcasts. (There was no requirement in respect . . 

ol·NJ\1'0 so tar as could be stated at present). 

~· OIJ'.AX 

a. . It was noted that the que~tion ot combined technical standards tor 

' 

facsimile equipment was under consideration by the CAN-UlC-US 

oammunications equipment panels, and whilst some agreements had 

been reached there 'were no complete oombined standards tor facsimile 

equipment. The question ·of combined CIFAX was therefore 

rather difficult at this stage. The following technical standards. 

would have to be established before a combined specification for 

CIFAX could be.drawn up:• 

(1;) Size of picture.· 

· (2) Definition required. 

(') Index of co-operation of FAX equipment. 

(~) Time allowed for transmis~ion·of a picture. 

(.5) Frequency band of radi.o _96uununicatio~ systems. 

(6) Type of transmission system •. . . . I 

(7) · ·Crypto' system 

Ca).· 9omtn~ica:t;ions. plan for usage of CIFAX. 

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. ,.Q~classified and approved for release by NSA on 05-27-2014 pursuantto E.O. 1352a . ~ ':, ~ ·. ; . 

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The Sub-Committee agreed that (1) through (.5) were already covered 

by the C.AN-1.JK-US J .C.-E.C. deliberations; ·but made the following 

recommendations on the remainder. 

b. TYpe of Transmission System 

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·Whilst it is understood that the J.C.-E.C.'s had already agreed 

that multi channel SCFM was the best method of transmission for CIF.AX 

for other than short distances ground w~ve_.H;_.F. radi.o links, the 

Sub-Committee recommended that the ~xecutive Committ~e should be 

ask~d to invite the Communications Equipnient panels of .the 

c.AN-lJK-US J.C.-E.C.'s to agree a technicai specification for a multi 

channel SCFM transmission system for comb_ined use· in con.Junction with 

CIF.AX. 

Trpe of CrYpto System 

The Sub-Committee noted that both the u.s. and the U.K. had 

. specific projents for black/white CIFiUC: ·under test, but it wa~ as yet 

too early to consider one to meet combined requirem~nts. The only 

comment which could be made at this stage was_ that such a system must 

be reliable in operation and present no undue.maintenance problems. 

Commmications plan for using CIF.A.X 

The requirements· of equipments and volume of traffic were 

estimated to be:-

,Ajr Mini~try.Meteorological Office• 

Some point-to-point circuits~ 

Single transmiss1on broadcast on 3 frequencies each to 

20-40 receivers. 

64 pictures a day from each,transmitter would be adequate 

/Royal Navy 

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Royal Navy 

Some point-to-point circuits • 

. 2 or more Broadcast systems.each with 12 - 20 

"receiving only" stations. envisaged at the moment 

but a ~urther requirement is possible. 

64 pictures a day from each transmitter would be 

adequate. 

The U .K. r~quirements would. involve· point ... to-point circuits 

to North .American and Eur<?pe'an Stations; but mainly 

broadcasts from Dunstable. 

On the Continent a few score receivers w9uld be necessary, 

all receiving continuous transrnisSi'ons. 

, Naft . 

8 point-to-point circuits • 

Probably 7 broadcast sta~ions each wi~h 12-20 

receivers. 

48 pictures a day from each transmitter. 

Air Force 

The U.S.A.F~ requirements invQlved up to ten continuous broadcast facilities each with appro~imately 

' 20 "receiving only" stations. 

There is also n requirement f.or up to a hWldred pointto-point secure facsimile circui·ts. 

f;-J ... ,~ ·There wa.s·a general requirement in the Navies· to read broadcasts from both 

~':'fi·:''[(:tif.tions. .:..In the .Air Forces this was not so important but it was considered 

standardise equipment so as to,make interworking possible if 

The Sub-Coumittee.r"commend that reports of the trials carried out on 

. ·~::-~}:.~tebank,· AFSAJ '.00 and .AFSAX D '503 should be exchanged when available. 

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B. . ,CrYptographic Systems for Meteorological Traffic 

· 5. ."State!!\ent of Requirements 

The Sub-Committee reaffirmed the Combined and NATO requirements for 

weather controlled information.transmitted by radio, as ·set out in the Report 

(WCS/R(2) FnfAL) approved in the UK/US Communications ~ecurity Conference, 1952. 

• · These requirements are list~d below: · 

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a. Continental and Sub-Continental weather Broadcast via cw. (Off-line. 

crypto-equipment needed). 

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b. · Weather portion of Naval general (admin.) broadcast (Off-line 

crri>:to-¢quipment needed). · 

c. Theatre Operational Weather Informa+.ion disseminated by Commands to 

tac·:tical uni ts. (Preferably same crypto. principle used as in para. a. ) • 

d. Continental an~ Sub-Continental exchange of Weather Data on Rlt.TT Pt 

to Pt circui~s (On-line crypto-equipt'lcnt ne.edJd). 

e. Collection of Data from Ground Reporting Stations by CVf 

f • 

(1) Intra-nationa,,1. only. No Combined and NATO requirement. 

(2) Between S.tations of different nations. (Off-line cryptoequipment needed.- One-time pads will suffice w~ere traffic 

load doe·s not exceed 3000 .sr'>ups per day). .·same off-line 

crypto-system as for a. above. 

·Weather Reports fr.1r lircraf·i; 

(1) Reconnaissance· (Off-line cryptosystem:. One-·~i1ae pads will meet 

this requirement) • 

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(2) Combatant mission - no special weather ·system required • 

(3) Non-Combatant mission (preferably will b~ pa.rt of operational. 

cryptosystem). 

S•. Weather Reports from Ground tn Aircraft -- (Includes requests for 

weather from aircraft). 

/Landing 

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REF ID:A522914 

Landing weather and IN-flight weather. OFF-line system needed. 

UCO has been accepted for Combined· use rm a.n: interim basis for 

multi-seater aircraft. 

6. Present Status 

Papers have been introduced in the C.AN-UlC-US J .c.-E.C •. '. s covering 

requirements in a, b, c, e, f(1) and g'above. These papers provide inter alia 

to..,:- the use of CCM as the off-line cr~tosy~-~em .... 

7• CCM and Met. Crypto Plan 

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. . . A.a there was no objection to the use of operati6z:i,a.L rdt~rs with MET Key .. . • ... . . . 

Lists, it was agreed that, taking all fact~rs int9 consider~tion, 1st July, 1954, 

could be treated as a reasonable date by which :cc~ <!:~- be: ~. :· position world-'Wide . . ... · . · ... ·. ·. . . . 

tor Combined and NATO Meteor9logical traffic. For reas~ns briefly explained in . . . . . . . . 

the next para. however the Sub-Committee re66mmend that the MET orypto plan 

as outlined in para. 5 should so far as possible be implemented by 1st May, 1954. 

a. Interim System 

. . Consideration was given to the argument far an interim CY:Jher system pending 

the introduction elf CCM for ME'r in the event of war occurring during the intervening period. In this event intense aerial activity ~rt b~th sides would be a 

feature of the early phases of a gen~ral war. It was .therefore necessary that 

·sec\irity should be provided for MET information.. It. was ··noted that the s.s • 

Frame system could be made available by the U.K. for this purpose, but t~e date ' . . 

by which the S.S. Frame system could be in posHion wt)rid'-w:i.de w.)uld be ".:Inly a 

few weeks bef'ore the CC:M. It is considered ina:dv:i,sable tQ place an interim.· 

· .. tt~. ·. :i-'.· · . system in position for so short a time and· mo:i:-eover thE;i. diatribution ·or the 

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S.S. Frame would retard the distribution of the CCM. It is therefore recolIDilended 

that all efforts should be concentrated on putting the CCM into p~sition by the 

1.et May, 195Lt-· It is noted that in the even~ of an emergency arising in the 

meantime, the S.S. Frame would still be available for issue to NATO with very 

little· delay. 

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9. One-Time Pads 

The Sub-Committee recommended that stocks of pads should be built. up 

with a view to implem~nting the MET. CryptfJ plan by 1st May, 1954. 

10. ON-LINE Cypher facilities 

To prl'JV'ide such facilities for certain trunk RTT circuits ahown in the 

·. integrated MFr Cormnunications Plan, approximately' 30 duplex terminals in the 

A.tJ.antic area alone should ideally be operated in We.rtime. At the moment only 

25 .ASAM 2-1 machines.can be made available (for non-synchronous ~perations). 

It is not advised that these should be used ·on-line "n radio circuits but they 

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can be used off-line with very little delay ~t the expense fJf additional 

handling effort at the termiru:;.ls. They sh"uld be retained as an interim 

: '· ~ ..... provision for an ~mergenc7 although they are not a satisfactory method of· 

handling the traffic; synchronous on-line equ~pment is considered essential. 

The CAN-UK-US J.C.-E.C. 1 s are currently considering the detailed statement ~~ . .,.r~.-.. . . ;f:/f:. :~ ot ~he meteorologico.l communication requ:irements prepared by the NATO Met. t;Jr omidttee. When

0 

the~e are agx'eed, the appl"'lpriate C·Mmmication Security panel 

·A:i;tF. ·ot the J .C.-E.C. s will make a more detailed recommendation as regards 

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· ~t;rt~l';:~· l,; ... f, . ··~to--vatems -<1¥ -.,,- I e 

:11;, 1to . :~ pr.aent "UOO" is the only system available to meet the C~binOO and 

.:IJJ:!.:;-:~o ·req:.P..renent ftJr t}ie transm~tion of wea"iiher irtformation to multi-seater 

·1~hf.~.· aircraft in fl!tgh.t. It is recommended that stocks of daily letter scrambles ~~::. :;11·~- '• .. 

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·:!~,it;i·· · .. _should be. ma.de a·'B.ilable to enable UCO to be in positi"n by 1st May, 1954. 

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