The German Navy needs a serious upgrade for its fleet of submarine frigates, but we’re not talking about digital uploads or some kind of software patch: The country’s submarine frigates have been running on antiquated 8-inch floppy disks since they were commissioned in the 1990s.
Currently, the German Navy is looking for ways to replace the “outdated disk system” that is essential to the operation of its Brandenburg-class F123 frigates. Tom’s Hardware.
Replacing a floppy disk system is no small task. These disks control just about everything on the ship, from airflow systems to power generation. Is the German Navy still using Palm Pilots to organize code words and Tamagotchis to train recruits in marine life conservation?
Serve According to a press release, the company will be responsible for maintaining Germany’s fleet of F123 frigates starting in 2021. As the frigates are designed to track submarines, they will also be getting upgrades to their weapons and weapon control systems. Hopefully, they’ll also get a cool, luxurious Night Panel dashboard for free.
Many government agencies and programs have used floppy disk systems for decades, long after the antiquated computer storage systems fell out of general use. Japan’s Digital Agency announced earlier this month that it had phased out the use of floppy disks in government systems. Does this mean that somewhere in the world, core government agencies are still using Commodore cassette tapes to store their most sensitive data? Let’s hope these disks aren’t connected to access to nuclear weapons, as they were in the United States.
