The German Navy needs a major upgrade of its submarine frigate fleet, and we're not talking about a digital upgrade or some kind of software patch. The country's submarine frigate fleets have been running on antiquated 8-inch floppy disks since they were put into service in the 1990s.
Now the German Navy is trying to find a way to replace the outdated disk system that is “vital to the operation of its Brandenburg-class F123 frigates,” according to Tom's Hardware Store.
Replacing the floppy disk system will not be an easy task. These disks control virtually everything on ships, from airflow systems to power generation. Does the German Navy still use Palm Pilots to organize their code words and Tamagotchi to train their recruits in marine life preservation?
Saab According to a press release, it has been servicing Germany's fleet of F123 frigates since 2021. The frigates are designed to hunt submarines, so they will also receive upgrades to their weapons and weapon control systems. Hopefully, they'll also include one of those fancy, cool nighttime instrument panels for free.
Many government institutions and programs have used the floppy disk system for decades and long after the antiquated computer storage system has fallen into disuse. Japan's Digital Agency announced earlier this month that it had phased out the use of floppy disks in its government systems. Does that mean that somewhere in the world, a central government agency is still using those Commodore cassette tapes to store its most vital data? Let's hope those disks aren't linked to access to nuclear weapons… like they were in the U.S.
