Commander Petraeus' Phones

Last week, David Petraeus resigned every bit manager of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), later admitting he had an extramarital matter amongst his biographer Paula Broadwell. This led to many tidings reports together with likewise many pictures on the internet.

Some of them give a prissy hold off at the telecommunication equipment which full general Petraeus used when, from July 2010 to July 2011, he was commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) inwards Kabul, Afghanistan:

ISAF Commander Petraeus beingness interviewed past times Paula Broadwell
(Photo: paulabroadwell.com, engagement unknown)

In this painting present nosotros run across the next telecommunication devices:

Video conferencing screens
On Petraeus' desk nosotros run across 2 Centric 1700 MXP video teleconferencing screens, made past times the Norwegian manufacturer Tandberg. In 2010 this fellowship was bought past times Cisco Systems, together with and then the 1700 MXP screens are oft used past times U.S. of America armed forces officials. They are equipped amongst a hard disk photographic television camera together with accept a widescreen LCD screen, which operates both every bit a video conferencing scheme together with PC display.

STE
Left of the personal figurer shroud nosotros run across a Secure Terminal Equipment (STE), made past times L3 Communications. The STE is a telephone capable of encrypting calls upwards to the grade of Top Secret/SCI. This telephone tin hold upwards used to accept a secure business to anyone amongst a similar device.

IST-2
Right behind the chair of commander Petraeus is an Integrated Services Telephone 2 (IST-2), made past times Telecore Inc. This is a together with then called "red phone", which is part of the Defense Red Switch Network (DRSN), connecting all mayor U.S. of America command centers together with many other armed forces facilities. This is the chief telephone network for armed forces command together with command communications.

VoIP phones
In the painting present inwards a higher house nosotros run across iii of iv Voice over IP (VoIP) phones: at the correct terminate a Cisco SPA together with the other iii beingness phones from the Cisco 7970-series. It's probable each of these phones is part of a divide telephone network. Nowadays many armed forces telephone networks usage Voice over IP, oft amongst Cisco IP telephone sets. These phones accept no encryption capability, exactly their vox information networks tin easily hold upwards secured amongst specific network encryptors.
In the painting present below nosotros tin run across al iv VoIP phones, neatly aligned on a shelf together with amongst an organizational nautical chart at the left side of them:

General David Petraeus inwards his purpose at the ISAF headquarters inwards Kabul.
(Photo: Adam Ferguson/The New York Times, March 8, 2011)

Printers
Also inwards this painting present nosotros run across iii printers on a tabular array at the left side of the room. Apparently in that place are divide printers for dissimilar figurer networks, inwards social club to proceed documents of dissimilar classification levels separated.
At the upper left corner of the forepart of at to the lowest degree the outset 2 printers nosotros tin run across the colored classification labels: a green sticker for Unclassified materials on the printer inwards the foreground together with a red sticker for materials classified every bit Secret on the printer inwards the middle. The tertiary printer seems to accept no marking, exactly nosotros tin assume this ane is for Top Secret (orange sticker) or Classified SCI (yellow sticker) documents.


This form of communications equipment is typical for U.S. of America armed forces commanders inwards similar positions. Therefore ane tin quite easily recognize it likewise on other pictures of American armed forces commanders together with command centers. Contrarily, pictures inwards which nosotros tin run across the equipment used inwards Petraeus' terminal office, that of manager of the CIA, are really rare - exactly nosotros proceed looking!


UPDATE Feb 5, 2013:

H5N1 reader of this weblog kindly noticed me of to a greater extent than or less other painting present of full general Petraeus inwards his office, amongst clearly visible to a greater extent than or less other form of communications device. It's an HH2G Tetrapol handheld radio device, sitting inwards a desktop adapter, together with then it tin hold upwards to a greater extent than or less used similar a phone:

General David Petraeus inwards his purpose inwards ISAF headquarters inwards Kabul, Afghanistan
(Photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images Europe, Oct 21, 2010)

The Tetrapol secure vox together with information radio network was installed inwards 2004 past times Cogent Defence together with Security Networks, the UK of Britain together with Northern Republic of Ireland operating fellowship of EADS Defence together with Communications Systems Group. This trunked Tetrapol ISAF Command Network, amongst end-to-end security, provides command communications coverage for the NATO Area of Responsibility inwards the Kabul region.