Posted on 04/27/2014 5:20:47 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Much of the hardware is old as it is more hardened against EMP then modern microprocessor systems.
Yet another 60 min hit piece.
Much of the hardware is old as it is more hardened against EMP then modern microprocessor systems.
Yet another 60 min hit piece.
The hardware isn't old as a ploy to be hardended. It's old because they didn't spend money to replace it. To tout the value against EMP is a rationale and a labored justification.
It's not something they did on purpose. You can have very modern equipment which is hardened. But they didn't go out and buy that stuff. They stayed with ancient stuff and now grasp for the "bright side" of that decision.
The ultimate firewall.
Well I guess we will all find out around may 11.
When I was working them (Minuteman III) the weapon system controller had drum memories and computer punch cards.
What works works. As the story said the systems are extremely secure. They can't be hacked.
There is no command interconnectivity outside of a missile squadron except for communications. Communications cannot launch a missile. The LCCs have multiple communications systems and the phone lines are the lowest order system for command and control.
Mandrake, there is a reason I only drink pure grain alcohol...
This begs the question: what’s the level of technology in Russia’s missile system?
Yes, floppy disks, the 5.25 inch ones we used with the Apple II and original IBM PC. The equipment is all 1970-80 stuff with dials and mechanical switches. The only good in it is it will survive a tremendous EMP wave as long as the blast creating the EMP doesn’t vaporize the silo.
>The only good in it is it will survive a tremendous EMP wave
what makes you think that?
Any Navy guys here? The old ships used mechanical computers, the ultimate shielding from emp. As an IT guy with many certifications I value old technology. If you have a small, simple job to do there is no reason to upgrade the hardware unless you need to upgrade the reliability. If the task requires “X” capability there is no need to provide “ABC” capability as well.
Having worked on the older systems I can say that they have one advantage over the new stuff. They are a lot less likelier to be buggy. And what bugs there are are mostly likely known and work-arounds for those bugs are well known and documented.
On the other hand... Having worked for the Air-Force as a contractor I can say that they won’t put a dollar more into maintenance than they have to. And although they do tend to eventually have modernization efforts they are really ham-stringing themselves by the MASSIVE piles of paperwork to do a project.
As an example before I retired; a one-line change to a program’s code cost a cool half-million bucks and six months of time. Ten minutes of real work and six months of documenting it and meeting after meeting to talk about it.
When I left the missile force entirely in 1992 there was no place in an ICBM launch capsule to insert a floppy disk nor a cassette. If there is now it was added when the systems were upgraded with the REACT modifications in the mid 90s.
The actual telephone handset was used for several different reasons and communications systems. The “Dial Line” was a typical old-style telephone and when the crew member pushed the button to connect the handset to the dial line he then had to dial using an old rotary dialer. All other com systems used with that handset were initiated by pressing a button, including HF and UHF radios.
Heh heh heh
Ha!
Sometimes I feel like a character in a Vonnegut novel where stupid people rule the world and force the slaves to be engineers and doctors.
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