Inside the US Nuclear Silos Where Floppy Disk Are Still High-Tech

Gizmodo ^ | April 28, 2014 | Jamie Condliffe

[lbryce]

It's not very often you get to see inside a US Air Force nuclear silo—but CBS recently got to take a peek for us. In this video, Lesley Stahl finds that they're not quite as high-tech as you might like to think.

This segment, which you can watch below, appeared on 60 Minutes, and it provides a rare glimpse into the inner working of America's nuclear bunkers. Cozying up with the ageing rockets, two things are striking. First, the staff don't seem wildly experienced. Second, the technology down there still relies on 5.25-inch 8-inch floppy disks from the 70s. Thank goodness the nation is so well protected

[lbryce]

Right now, I see this article making the rounds of the Duma, Russian Parliament, Putin smiling as he reads it, the entire Russian military complex just having a great old time reading this. All of this just weeks after Russia let us know which country could devastate the US without the capacity for MAD. Well, As Laurel told Hardy or the other way around, that we ought to say to Obama, That's another fine mess you've gotten us into!

[Boogieman]

Are you kidding? If we are using 5.25 floppies at our nuclear facilities, the Russians are still on magnetic tape reels.

[lbryce]

Yeah. You’re absolutely right. I hadn’t thought of that.
I was wondering why this is being leaked now but you’re point is very well taken.

[ThirdMate]

The Doomsday Machine

[C210N]

And the Chinese on ferrite core memory.

[C210N]

I take nothing from SeeBS without thinking of what agenda is behind it.

0’ has been dismantling nukes... unilaterally, firing officers, cutbacks, etc. Something is up here, like sowing the seed for the remainder of collapsing the US nuke deterrence. He needs to get this done within the next 2.5 years...

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Ferrite core or an abicus.

[onedoug]

The Chinese use abaci.

[Fido969]

Gee a 25 megaton warhead based on 1950’s techology can still leave a pretty big hole in the ground.

[elcid1970]

Older technology is often less vulnerable.

The Russians used vacuum tube radios in their MiGs & Sukhois. Impervious to EMP.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Nah...they’re still using wire recorders...

[gr8eman]

I don’t get it. The first nuke to hit the US would be DC. Even if he’s got advanced warning and gets out of dodge his power base will be gone. Something is definitely up, as you say. Maybe this was the side deal he cut with the Russkies when he told them he’d have more time when he gets re-elected.

[Sacajaweau]

Whoever allowed this is stupid. And I'm sure Obama had to sign off.

I remember just before the Anthrax hit, they did a big show about Ft. Detrick.

[The Great RJ]

It begs the question...where the heck does the Air Force still get those 8” floppy disks?

[DManA]

The technology in the silos is stable and been proven over 50 years. Why change it?

[Falcon4.0]

I think this is GOOD News.
They are so old there is no way in HELL they will be hacked into.

[Scoutmaster]

We don't use 5.25" floppies. In the original article, it says "still relies on 5.25-inch 8-inch floppy disks from the 70s." The author was making the point that we don't even use 5.25" floppies.

[caligatrux]

60s technology got us to the moon. Now we can't even get back to our own space station.

[Shamrock498]

Thank God they use old technology. with all of the vulnerabilities of modern day software the last thing we need is to hook these silos up to the internet or some other thing that you just know someone is pushing for just by the very existence of this report

[vette6387]

SeeBS should have left this alone until FUBO is gone! Now he will probably hire his wife’s black female college “friend” from Canada to “develop” a new missile control system patterned after her “innovative and reliable” Healthcare website! If the Russians hear that’s going on, they will probably attack!