BlackBerry revealed that it is working with Boeing on a secure smartphone project, but it has kept its cards close to its chest at the behest of its partner.

In the company’s latest results conference call, John Chen, BlackBerry’s president and CEO, said that the pair are collaborating to “provide a secure mobile solution for Android devices using our BES12 platform. That’s, by the way, all they allowed me to say”.

The project was swiftly linked to Boeing’s Black smartphone, a device being developed to meet the needs of the US security authorities.

Some reports said it features a “self-destruct” feature, although Boeing’s own spec sheet omits this detail. Previously it was said to feature an anti-tamper design, which would see data destroyed and the device rendered inoperable if any attempt is made to open it.

Black is powered by the aviation and defence giant’s PureSecure architecture, and includes a number of features designed to protect the security and integrity of data. It also supports expansion modules such as additional sensors, satellite connectivity, or extra batteries, to meet specific requirements.

The dual-SIM 4G device has a 4.3-inch screen.