  Military software defined radio (SDR) systems are a major factor in future
network-centric operations due to their flexibility and support for more
capable radio communications systems. The inherent nature of software-based
systems requires a more complex auxiliary infrastructure and multiple
independent levels of security compared with typical systems: Secure booting of
the SDR device, cryptographically signed software, real time operating platform
software as well as radio applications. This technology raises new challenges
with respect to the management. The largest impact on SDR deployments is due to
the auxiliary cryptographic infrastructure for the security of the software
life cycle and the cyclic update of the keys. Compared to conventional radio
devices, the SDR system with the cryptographic infrastructure described in this
paper reaches a higher security level and is more flexible. The advantage is
the possibility to deploy trunked radio system and further waveforms, such as
coalition wideband, which will be standardized in the future. Also it is
possible to update cryptographic mechanisms. In this work, we analyze the
requirements for a high secure SDR deployment and model the life cycle of the
components of a deployed SDR node based on the Joint Program Executive Office
(JPEO) Software Communication Architecture (SCA).
