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US ICBM system finally upgraded, from 8" floppy disks.


crash_davis

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https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/10/air-force-finally-retires-8-inch-floppies-from-missile-launch-control-system/

Five years ago, a CBS 60 Minutes report publicized a bit of technology trivia many in the defense community were aware of: the fact that eight-inch floppy disks were still used to store data critical to operating the Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile command, control, and communications network. The system, once called the Strategic Air Command Digital Network (SACDIN), relied on IBM Series/1 computers installed by the Air Force at Minuteman II missile sites in the 1960s and 1970s.

Those floppy disks have now been retired. Despite the contention by the Air Force at the time of the 60 Minutes report that the archaic hardware offered a cybersecurity advantage, the service has completed an upgrade to what is now known as the Strategic Automated Command and Control System (SACCS), as Defense News reports. SAACS is an upgrade that swaps the floppy disk system for what Lt. Col. Jason Rossi, commander of the Air Force’s 595th Strategic Communications Squadron, described as a “highly secure solid state digital storage solution.” The floppy drives were fully retired in June.

 

 

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Last few years, we keep hearing about how antiquated our technology with regard to the nuclear arsenal, the energy grids, air traffic control.  

When the world wide web/dark web went truly global about 25 years ago, we paused the technological upgrades of our most critical systems.  

Was not a coincidence.  

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3 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

I fully expect to shortly be reading about how our ICBM missile command and control system was hacked and all of our missiles were launched at Liechtenstein.

Heh, no doubt one of their primary concerns with any upgrades whatsoever.  

46 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

I remember the Titans.

I clashed with them myself a time or two.

6 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Last few years, we keep hearing about how antiquated our technology with regard to the nuclear arsenal, the energy grids, air traffic control.  

When the world wide web/dark web went truly global about 25 years ago, we paused the technological upgrades of our most critical systems.  

Was not a coincidence.  

Yup.  And the article states that the IBM Series 1 hardware is still in place, only the removable media and their hardware have been replaced with a "highly secure solid state digital storage solution" which tells me that they remain UN-networked, only the storage/media solution has been upgraded.  Which is as it should be.

 

The WOPR's problem is that it WAS networked.  Bad Idea Jeans.

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