America's feared nuclear missiles still controlled by computers from 1960s & floppy disks!

America's feared nuclear missile facilities are still controlled by computers from the 1960s and floppy disks

60 Minutes received a tour of the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the storage facility of 450 nuclear warheads and a Minuteman III missile The facility was built in the 1960s to withstand a nuclear attack and alot of its equipment dates back to that time The floppy disks that contain the missile launch codes are safe and effective because it allows center to stay disconnected from the internet and prevent cyber terrorism, the military claims Tour comes in the wake of a major cheating scandal that has implicated 91 Air Force nuclear missile officers, nine of which were fired

The isolated U.S. military silo that contains one of deadliest nuclear arsenals in the world - some 450 warheads that are each 20 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima - is being controlled by computers dating back to 1960s and a launch system that relies on floppy disks.

I find this very disturbing.

www.dailymail.co.uk...

a reply to: nighthawk1954

'If it's not broken, don't fix it" in this case I'll add "Don't ever use"

With all the hacker, crackers and wannabes I feel safer with it being a stand alone [Albeit antiquated] system

a reply to: nighthawk1954

This reminds me of battle star galactica. Maybe that way its harder to hack if it remains 'off the grid' so to speak.

I am more worried about russias THOUSANDS of warheads than I am of USA's few hundred warheads.


Does russias system run on old tech too?

I am so with you on that one... reply to: SLAYER69

a reply to: nighthawk1954

I would have to agree with Slayer on this one. A CD or thumb drive would not gather a whole lot of attention, whereas a floppy would make most people say...Wha!? I'm sure that they don't use FedEx, UPS or USPS to deliver them.

I'm sure that the equipment is inspected and keep up to code on a regular basis. It has to be a odd job programming the codes into those floppies. It'd be like stuck in time. LOL

a reply to: TDawgRex

Yep. I agree with Slayer and everyone.
I'm just glad they changed the go code from ten zeroes or 0123456789 or whatever it was because they didnt want the operators to muff the punt.

But I do wonder why this is on mass media...
Perhaps it's just a disinformation piece and they have the W.H.O.P.P.E.R. from "WarGames" a floor or two down that wasnt shown (or Universe forbid, something worse).

Just thought of another one...perhaps they are trying to scare up some uproar from the people to put pressure on politicians to pay Pentagon providers profusely. Say that ten times fast. No one likes a budget cut.

so... let me get this straight - when a picture surfaces of North Korea with a 60's mainframe connected to an RJ45 CAT5 cable... you guys say they must be playing space invaders and everybody has big laugh from the top of their high-tech nation. But when news are about how freakin old the US nuclear missile systems are and that they date from the 60s and that they still need floppy disks... you guys say its actually a good idea because its safer and it adds protection from hackers.

Really?



Regardless of the obvious double standards... I just cant help to think which is worse... the prospect of having a system that commands the biggest nuclear arsenal on the planet as old as North Korea's (which the US populace constantly mocks - the irony) - OR to have a 60 year old system controlling the worlds biggest nuclear arsenal running on floppy disks and the american populace deeming it... safe. lol... I'm truly on the fence here. And I'm on a double fence... worse or ridiculous?

a reply to: SLAYER69

Indeed. I've often considered going on ebay to buy an old Commodore 128D to store all my important files. I could brush up on 6502 assembly language and make my data hack-proof.

Well, at least nobody would be able to hack these things. They are more secure than the technology we have now created.

a reply to: nighthawk1954

What worries me about the nuclear arsenals of various countries is not the technology, but rather the political leadership.

originally posted by: AnonymousCitizen
a reply to: nighthawk1954

What worries me about the nuclear arsenals of various countries is not the technology, but rather the political leadership.

I totally agree with you.

a reply to: FraternitasSaturni

Hey... excuse me. Probably not Cat5 but coax with terminators and everything.

Just sayin...

But the thing is.. doesn't matter how antique the hardware it is what is in those silos that count. If they only needed a guy out there with a Bic lighter lighting a wick stuck out the tail of one of those missiles to make it go off it would still rain destruction.

a reply to: nighthawk1954

I've read a while back that they even surf Ebay to find vacuum tubes and such! Granted,it will cost a small fortune to update,and if it still works,no problem.I just hope the new system won't be windows! Can you imagine the screen? "are you sure you want to launch the thermonuclear weapon? Please enter your password to continue".Then a blue screen of death!

a reply to: VictorVonDoom
your commadore had more ability than the first space shuttle design!

a reply to: SLAYER69

Agree with that. It certainly does need to be stand alone. To think we have some of our infrastructure on "public" nets raises concerns to me anyway.

I will also venture that they use vacuum tubes instead of integrated circuits. That old tech is not vulnerable to emps. Hence why they are still using it. The same thing with Russian combat jets, all vacuum tubes and other old tech. For the same reason I mentioned above. Newer is not always better.

a reply to: nighthawk1954

Bet they run an old Windows CE OS as well.

gives a whole new meaning to the blue screen of death.

a reply to: the owlbear

The DoD is progressively getting more PR nervous as time goes on. It's always been there, but now it is getting out of hand. All the Generals and program directors are protecting their turf.

Give it ten years and they will be actively dimeing each other out in public.

It's only a matter of time before the Pentagon resembles Congress.

I say, fire/retire 50% of the Generals/Admirals. They're political positions anyways. Kick them to the curb, right along with the majority of Congress.

LAUNCH IN 3,2,1,,,

BEEP,,



yaaaa lets keep it simple,

Me id rather it was on DOS 3.1

originally posted by: TDawgRex
a reply to: the owlbear

The DoD is progressively getting more PR nervous as time goes on. It's always been there, but now it is getting out of hand. All the Generals and program directors are protecting their turf.

Give it ten years and they will be actively dimeing each other out in public.

It's only a matter of time before the Pentagon resembles Congress.

I say, fire/retire 50% of the Generals/Admirals. They're political positions anyways. Kick them to the curb, right along with the majority of Congress.

Thanks for the information. I have always wondered why people would opt to stay in a high ranking military position when the pay is peanuts compared to "consulting" and other civilian work. I knew a woman that was an engineer for the Navy did her time and got out and tripled her income doing the same thing.