Radios taken by Taliban

[AdVictoriam]

@prcguy @ElroyJetson @TDR-94
RF-7850M-HH > RF-310M-HH

 

[TDR-94]

Yours or theirs? Selling or buying?

 

[AdVictoriam]

Luckily mine
I’m looking to keep, but might sell my other kit

 

[prcguy]

If selling I will offer $50, green cash money, a crisp Grant!

Yours or theirs? Selling or buying?

 

[AK9R]

A reminder that buying and selling is generally not permitted in the forums. If you have items to sell or are looking to buy, please use the Classifieds. If it's a one-on-one negotiation, please use the Conversation feature or take it off-line.

 

[TDR-94]

If selling I will offer $50, green cash money, a crisp Grant!

I'll one up you to $100!

 

[TDR-94]

I don't know if the classifieds could handle that one.

 

[Giddyuptd]

They have started popping up on various sites and people buying them having them sent back in. Some being APX8000XEs fully loaded with you name it. Apparently they also have access to the CPS out there and other items. Aside from importing and exporting things with AES many are getting ahold of these in the states buying them online from persons selling them for fraction of cost, some NIB.

I can't imagine any Type 1 encryption radios left behind by US forces and if there were the key loader for that certainly would not be abandoned. Most Harris Falcon II and III radios have lower grade encryption and frequency hopping that can be keyloaded from the radio keypad, so captured radios can be used with some encryption or hopping. Some Thales radios can be keyloaded for DES or AES from the programming software which is easy to get.

As for any captured radios showing up on Ebay, a US Govt model would usually have Type 1 encryption with a CCI tag somewhere on the radio and that would be a fed flag not to buy it as it would have a paper trail and be subject to confiscation at any time, even months after you buy it. Lots of radio equipment was given to Afgan forces and written off by the US then abandoned as the Afgan army ran way and in my opinion if that shows up on Ebay its a free for all and I can't imagine getting in trouble for that.

I read somewhere they indeed left sensitive items as well literally kid in candy shop in some places in regards to comm equipment.

Like prcguy said, if it's the abandoned non-CCI, export radios, like the RF-7850's, then that really shouldn't be an issue.

You can buy those from L3HARRIS, if you have roughly the five figures to purchase one!

It's the CCI stuff you are gambling with.

There was facebook postings with positive feedback on people selling them to Inland USA with bells and whistles in the equipment for a steal literally. They come and go by looks of it but only handful been seen on that rest are elsewhere being sold including sensitive hardware for such. Thanks joe. smh.

Nothing is "truly" secure.AES 256 is certified up to top secret.

Part of the main advantage of the VINSON suite of Type 1 crypto algorithms, is that how they work is not publically known. The "security through obscurity" approach.

99% of how AES 256 works is publically known and NSA still considers it secure up to top secret.



You would be purchasing stolen goverment property and possibly be playing Russian roulette with your freedom. I wouldn't doubt they'd try to throw on extra charges to make an example out of you!

And if you were unlucky enough to purchase one that was still keyed, you would be charged with stealing classified government property.

When the radio is keyed it takes on the classification of the key. All Type 1/Suite A crypto keys are classified material.

Better go after the numerous on facebook buying them then in the for sale areas.

It's way too easy to zeroize a radio. Just turn the knob. But the radios that were given to the ANA... that's another story. Typically foreign military sales transactions don't allow the same level of encryption as what the US Military uses. So while they may have workable radios with encryption, they can't load our encryption keys.

Reality is it all got left including sensitive items like the weapons which would blow some ones mind. That is the reality of it without sugar coating.

I've seen this list. I think it's a fake.
This list was too detailed as to numbers of each item left behind. Would the military and the U.S. government want the the public (much less the Taliban) to know what and how much equipment was left behind?
Now if it is true, much of the equipment was disabled before we left. A guess of mine is that this equipment was damaged or destroyed during the pass 20 years of being there and we were leaving our trash behind. Another idea is these items were cannibalized to repair other items and again is just trash.

Sadly only in a perfect world. They are popping up in places.

Im sure the repeaters came home with them, I hope so anyway!

I heard they left the phase 1/2 system intact running at the airport so there is that to put it in aspects.

That seems like a way too high of a number (165,000). A quick Google shows at the peak 10 years ago, we had over 100,000 soldiers there. But it's hard to imagine that each solider left their radio behind (or even a larger number spread over a period of time that added up to 165,000).

There were stories in the news about destroying or permanently disabling stuff being left behind. I would think, at the very least, any existing programming and keys would be wiped. They may have even removed/destroyed the crypo hardware (just a guess). Even as far back as WW2 era, they had self destruct built into secret equipment (e.g. push both buttons to destroy). E.g. IFF Radio Destruct Switch Box BC-765 WW2; B-17, B-24, B-29

Youd be surprised in a cluster f--- how things get left untouched or intact. Sad reality of American government.

So recently I was reading a chart depicting all the various U.S. military assets taken by the Taliban. On the list was 165,000 radios. Whatever the specific number is, assuming these are Harris Falcon III models (as an example), will the Taliban be able to use them for their own purposes in any type of secure mode?

Obviously the US military can change encryption keys of their own radios, but will the Taliban be able to continue using this stuff themselves for their own uses? I've never served in the military, but from what I understand a lot of these radios are used on small localized networks, and it may be difficult to send remote inhibit commands if they aren't linked to a repeater or network of some type.

In reality yes even the secure hardware for such was left. Was some destroyed? More than likely but not all. It would be like sugar coating the weapons issue... "I cant imagine they left xyz there so sleep good only bb guns were left"...... I got some moon beach property for ya too bud.

 

[TDR-94]

The RF-7800's are not "sensitive" or CCI. Neither is any L3HARRIS radio being sold with an 'RF' designation and AES is not a classified encryption algorithm.

Even if a CCI was left behind, that doesn't mean it can still be utilized in any secure mode of operation, which most of the waveforms, in US military tactical radios, require to even function.

 

[GlobalNorth]

We surrendered hundreds of billions of everything from drones, cannons, NVGs, armored vehicles, ammo, comm gear, ISR aircraft, etc. and we still nitpick about portable radios.

A light machine gun is far more dangerous to humans that a pair of portables.

 

[TDR-94]

Depends on what's being sent between said portables.

 

[Cognomen]

If I was being sneaky, I'd leave behind some "fully functioning" radios with custom profiles for the enemy to utilize, then monitor their comms.

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

If I was being sneaky, I'd leave behind some "fully functioning" radios with custom profiles for the enemy to utilize, then monitor their comms.

I had a similar idea, but with the vehicles and munitions were left behind. My idea was to place tracking devices Or remote donated explosives on them, and then if necessary later, Target or detonate them

 

[drdispatch]

If I was being sneaky, I'd leave behind some "fully functioning" radios with custom profiles for the enemy to utilize, then monitor their comms.

I wouldn't be surprised if we were doing just that....

 

[iowajm780]

If we indeed left sensitive items, that is unacceptable. If orders were given to destroy radios and other military equipment and if it was not done, then someone needs to be held accountable. I would hope our military would know that equipment could compromise our security and not in the caring mood. My worry is the the soldiers would be leaving and they did not care since they were out of there. If true, I can't believe our military would knowing leave equipment that could undermine national security in hostile hands.

 

[kavemankel]

FMS Sales are always a step below what we use so we always have the upper hand. But as others have stated, hand receipt of equipment from one Branch to Ally troops is another. in the years we were there our gear was used to outfit ANA all the time and that stuff is same same as ours. These people are extremely smart and resourceful, they will get the stuff to work. Guess that keeps L3, Harris and Thales job security in making new stuff. makes one wonder if it was planned that way

 

[AdVictoriam]

100% planned that way to keep the industrial military complex churning!

 

[drdispatch]

More to ponder:

The Pentagon has no idea how much military equipment it actually left behind in Afghanistan

Not great!

taskandpurpose.com

 

[ElroyJetson]

If I ran the zoo, all our sensitive military systems and equipment would have a hidden system built into them that allows them to be rendered inoperative or destroyed by remote commands. These systems and their commands would not be mentioned in any of the usual documentation available in the field. It'd be strictly in the top secret and above category.

 

[prcguy]

When I worked at Hughes Aircraft there were some systems built that had thermite grenades in the racks that would destroy anything sensitive.

If I ran the zoo, all our sensitive military systems and equipment would have a hidden system built into them that allows them to be rendered inoperative or destroyed by remote commands. These systems and their commands would not be mentioned in any of the usual documentation available in the field. It'd be strictly in the top secret and above category.