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← USA Voice
The image on the right shows a US soldier with an
PRC-77 manpack radio
on his back, during the Vietnam War in October 1969.
Below the radio set is the KY-38 voice encryption unit,
which is about the same size as the radio itself.
The handset is connected to the KY-38.
The total weight of the kit must have been gigantic.
This photograph was obtained via Wikipedia, where it is attributed to the
NSA [4]. Note however, that the image as supplied by the NSA is
mirrored horizontally and that the one shown on the right has been corrected.
The image is part of
this larger photograph
made in Vietnam in October 1969
by SP4 Timothy F. Fease [2].
➤ Larger image
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The KY-38 was introduced in 1964, together with the other members of the
NESTOR family, the KY-8
and the KY-38.
They were first used in the Vietnam
War from 1965 onwards and were only available in small numbers.
In total, approx. 30,000 NESTOR devices were produced, before they were replaced
by VINSON
family members like the KY-57 from 1975 onwards.
The last NESTOR units were decomissioned in the early 1980s.
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The AN/PRC-77 radio
was in fact a PRC-25
that had been given a solid state RF power amplifier, and
was modified for the connection of
digital voice encryption equipment,
by adding a so-called X-MODE to the circuitry.
When in X-Mode, the filters in the audio path of transmitter and receiver are
bypassed so that the full bandwidth of the set can be used.
➤ More about the PRC-77
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- Vehicular Unit
KY-28 Aircraft Unit KY-38 Manpack Unit
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Declassified by USAPA, 30 January 1970.
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Saturday 01 October 2016. Last changed: Thursday, 19 September 2019 - 09:10 CET.
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![US soldier in Vietnam operating a PRC-77 radio with KY-38 voice encryptor. 16 October 1969 [2].](img/ky38_soldier_large.jpg)
