The German Navy is upgrading its Brandenburg F123 frigates, which means ending their reliance on 8-inch floppy disks. To solve this problem, the government wants to create simulation software!
Floppy disks born in 1971 are used in warships.
The F123 frigates use floppy disks for their onboard data acquisition (DAQ) systems, Tom's Hardware reported Thursday.
Eugene Girardos!, A German Defense Policy Blog Security journalist Thomas Weigold says DAQs are important for controlling frigates, including power generation, “because operating parameters must be recorded,” according to Google Translate. The ships specialize in anti-submarine warfare and air defense.
Earlier this month, Eugen Gerardius! revealed a public tender published by the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the German Army (BAAINBw) on June 21 for the modernization of the German Navy's four F123 frigates. The ships entered service from October 1994 to December 1996.
According to the German news agency "Hays", the continued use of 8-inch floppy disks, despite the existence of modern alternatives for years, "has to do with the fact that the existing systems are considered more reliable."
Instead of completely renewing the DAQ, The government plans to develop and integrate the on-board simulation system. To replace floppy disks. This is different from the approach taken by the US Air Force. In 2019, the US military branch replaced the 8-inch floppy disks used to power, control and communicate its intercontinental ballistic missile command network with SSDs.
BAAINBw has contracted Saab to perform upgrades for the F123. In July 2021, Saab announced that it had won a contract “to deliver and integrate new naval radars and fire control managers to and from the German Navy’s F123 aircraft, with work including a new combat management system to completely overhaul the existing system used on the F123, allowing for low-risk integration of the new naval radars and fire control capabilities.”
The Swedish company said the deal is worth about 4.6 billion Swedish kronor (about 4 billion euros).
According to the BAAINBw tender, the replacement of the floppy disks should start on October 1 and end on July 31, 2025. The F123 frigates should remain in service until the F126s are available. What is expected to happen? Between 2028 and 2031.
Further details, such as how Saab replaced the floppy disks, are kept secret. As Tom's Hardware notes, there are several options for emulating floppy disks, such as devices from brands like Gotek, which are very popular among enthusiasts.
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