In the past, the Russian-developed radio station R-187P1 “Azart” was touted as one of the greatest achievements in the creation of modern means of digital communication.
The main microchip of R-187P1 “Azart”.
However, a detailed “autopsy” of R-187P1 revealed that the key microchip used to encrypt communications is Spartan-6 FPGA developed by the American company Xilinx (at the present time a subsidiary of AMD). The chip is currently mass-produced in Taiwan.
Photos with this microchip and other parts of “Azart” were published by the specialist Serhiy Flash from the Ukrainian military. He also provided a very extensive description of the technical characteristics of this radio station.
According to Defense Express, this specific microchip is not military grade and can be purchased mainly through different e-commerce platforms, including AliExpress. All the remaining components appear to be of Taiwanese origin, too.
When “Azart” was revealed to the public for the first time, Vadim Malyukov, general director of “NPO Angstrom”, the company that produces these radio stations, said: “Created taking into account the current demands of the defense complex, the new portable radio station has become a unique project. This is one of the few Russian developments in recent years, which can be called a scientific and technical achievement”.