Really??????
Posted on 10/18/2019 7:25:22 AM PDT by ShadowAce
The military announced Thursday it has retired the 8-inch floppy disks that were used to receive a presidential order to fire nuclear missiles.
Lt. Col. Jason Rossi told c4isrnet.com that it has retired the floppy disks used on its dated 1970s computer with a “highly-secure solid-state digital storage solution.”
The computer — called Strategic Automated Command and Control System, or SACCS — is an old system designed to receive nuclear force action messages and is considered unhackable because it predates the creation of the internet.
“You can’t hack something that doesn’t have an IP address. It’s a very unique system — it is old, and it is very good,” Mr. Rossi said.
The Department of Defense said in 2016 it would replace the SACCS computer and “update its data storage solutions, port expansion processors, portable terminals, and desktop terminals by the end of fiscal year 2017.”
The Air Force hasn’t shared whether it followed through on that promise.
While the system is old, the Air Force believes the age of the system makes nuclear launches safer, and a new computer system could jeopardize that.
“You have to be able to certify that an adversary can’t take control of that weapon, that the weapon will be able to do what it’s supposed to do when you call on it,” said Dr. Werner J.A. Dahm, chair of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, back in 2016.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Thanks to Darnright for the ping!
Really??????
That goes back to next gen after punch cards.
I’ll bet there’s still one test set at VAFB, CA using punched mylar tape.
I feel better now. /not
Oh my god, Is this real? This totally destroys my confidence in high tech security keeping us safe. Anyone remember how little it took for these floppies to fail? This is something I would have kept a secret, little Kim is probably more up to date than this. lol
“Lt. Col. Jason Rossi told c4isrnet.com that it has retired the floppy disks used on its dated 1970s computer with a “highly-secure solid-state digital storage solution.””
Sounds like some millennial convinced them to use the Internet (along with GPS) for our national defense.
Are you frickin’ kidding me??? Floppy disks???? In 2019????
Now that I think it about it, they’re probably more reliable than a new thumb drive or SD card...LOL.
They’ve moved up to 5 1/4” floppies...
I used to have floppy disk corrupt on me inside of one day.
The guys on 24 hour alert listen to 8 track cartridges on their time off and use rotary dial phones.
Then the new 2019 computer systems arrive.
“Wonder why all 15 of the tech guys who came in to install them are Chinese. Every one of them.”
“Darned if I know. Ask the Pentagon. They did say the new equipment was all made in China. Like everything in the stores these days, I guess. And have you seen my Barry Manilow cassettes?”
The old movie "War Games" was a good tale, but never possible.
Secure codes have to be physically delivered and two people twenty feet apart must execute the launch.
Outside of a petulant President _______ (fill in your favorite name), an inadvertent launch is pretty much impossible.
At least they’re not using Zip drives.
Wouldn’t doubt it although punched mylar went away in the 80s, early 90s. I was at SAC HQ in 85 when a problem arose with maintaining targeting on the Titans that were being drawn down. They did away with the ancient System 70 equipment that punched the tapes but there was another year left before the last bird came out of the hole. We finally found a tape unit at a test facility to punch out a set of target packages that would be used until the last deactivation. I was using the SACCS system before they went to the floppy disks. The point was not to have any outside feeds, only direct system to system. Better security.
I’ve used those on that system back in 1985. They were obsolete then. I wonder what a new 8” floppy cost on the most recent purchase.
And the leftists want us to believe that the government is going to give us the latest and greatest medical care. Why do I have visions of biting down on a stick while some butcher operates on me with dirty instruments and then flushes out the wound with moonshine?
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