Air Force finally retires the 8-inch floppy for Missile Launch Control System

biffzinker · Oct 18, 2019

C4ISRNET said:
In 2014, “60 Minutes” made famous the 8-inch floppy disks used by one antiquated Air Force computer system that, in a crisis, could receive an order from the president to launch nuclear missiles from silos across the United States.

But no more. At long last, that system, the Strategic Automated Command and Control System or SACCS, has dumped the floppy disk, moving to a “highly-secure solid state digital storage solution” this past June, said Lt. Col. Jason Rossi, commander of the Air Force’s 595th Strategic Communications Squadron.

Think of SACCS as the U.S. nuclear force’s version of AOL instant messenger — one of the many old, duplicative systems used by U.S. Strategic Command to send emergency action messages from nuclear command centers to forces in the field. Based in Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., the 595th is charged with upkeeping SACCS and ensuring its day-to-day operations.

"I joke with people and say it's the Air Force's oldest IT system. But it's the age that provides that security,” Rossi said in an October interview. "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."

The US nuclear forces’ Dr. Strangelove-era messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

The 1970s era Strategic Automated Command and Control System is slowly becoming more modern, and a replacement could be on the way.

www.c4isrnet.com

lynx29 · Oct 18, 2019

so now it can be hacked? they probably will say it's offline, until some lowly officer wants to see...

r9 · Oct 18, 2019

biffzinker said:
The US nuclear forces’ Dr. Strangelove-era messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

The 1970s era Strategic Automated Command and Control System is slowly becoming more modern, and a replacement could be on the way.

www.c4isrnet.com

Let me guess they upgraded to 5.25" ?

biffzinker · Oct 18, 2019

r9 said:
Let me guess they upgraded to 5.25" ?

I'm guessing it's encrypted CompactFlash since it has to interface with a 1976 IBM Series/1.

IBM Series/1 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

eidairaman1 · Oct 18, 2019

biffzinker said:
I'm guessing it's encrypted CompactFlash since it has to interface with a 1976 IBM Series/1.

IBM Series/1 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Doubt it. I had to handle "data" as well.

biffzinker · Oct 18, 2019

eidairaman1 said:
Doubt it. I had to handle "data" as well.

The alternative would be a floppy to usb disk emulator such as this one.

Dtx200 see all

www.datex-dsm.com

yotano211 · Oct 18, 2019

r9 said:
Let me guess they upgraded to 5.25" ?

They might get a SSD. Skynet can finally launch missiles much faster.

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Air Force finally retires the 8-inch floppy for Missile Launch Control System

The Exiled Airman