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US nukes used floppy disks until very recently, but are quite functional.
by throw73737 2y ago
US nukes used floppy disks until very recently, but are quite functional.
- ben_w 2y agoSo?
- Ancapistani 2y agoThat's why they were functional, though. US nuclear forces have extremely strict procurement and change control processes. You don't just swap out an 8" floppy drive for a 3.5" drive in a missile silo; the change has to be considered, components procured, a migration strategy defined, and the change implemented. ... more importantly, if it's working without issue, why change it? They're also not going to be using the latest-and-greatest tech at any point. Why should they? It's much better to use older tech that's well-proven, tested, and for which replacements don't rely on foreign industry. 8" floppy drives may be old, but they worked. We may not make them in the US, but the tech is so old that I'm sure it was cheap and easy to buy and store enough to last multiple human lifetimes. Hell, the F-14's last flight with the Navy was in 2006. As far as I know, it still used one of the very first truly modern digital computers to control the wing sweep angle. It worked. Why change it, and risk it not working the same way?
- throw73737 2y agoOP claimed Russia has a Potenkin force, because it is not shiny enough. My point is their nukes and subs, are quite modern compared to US force.
- ben_w 2y agoI didn't say it wasn't shiny, I said it sunk, caught fire, and exploded. This is different in a very important way.