This is one phone that many consumers will want, but won't be able to get - at least not unless you're an NSA spook. We've nicknamed it the 'James Bond phone' because it supports voice and data communications supporting security levels up to Top Secret, as well as e-mail communications supporting security levels up to Secret. L-3 Communications call it the Secure Mobile Environment - Portable Electronic Device (SME-PED).

Here's the gist: the SME-PED is a secure wireless product / PDA with converged voice and e-mail communications device similar to commercially available devices (i.e., BlackBerry, Treo 650).

What sets the SME-PED appart from RIMM and Palm is that L-3 CS-East will leverage recent investments in cryptographic technology and Future Narrow Band Digital Terminal (FNBDT) and High Assurance Internet Protocol Interoperability Specification (HAIPIS) protocols to keep things all nice and buttoned up. Price tag on the whole program is $18M.