RACE (KL-51)

RACE KL-51 is a off-line electronic cipher machine the meaning of RACE is the Rapid Automatic Cryptographic Equipment which is an off-line cipher machine, RACE was used by several NATO countries and Canada. Which was developed by Standard Telefon of Kabelfabrik A/S (STK) in Norway in the late 1970s. As the one of the successors to the ageing KL-7. It was used as AROFLEX cipher as one of its cryptographic algorithms and is fully electronic machine. In United States this machine was known as TSEC/KL-51 & it also by its National Stock Number NSN 5810-25-120-8069. Machine is phased out from the year 2006 onwards. But it was still in the service in some countries in the year 2010.

Comparing RACE with the other cipher machines of the same era, The RACE/KL-51 is a relatively compact unit, and It comes in a ruggedized beige die-cast aluminium case with the water tight lid that protects the controls. All connections are at the rear.