Lyneham Lad
9th Feb 2017, 11:11
Extract from an article on the 'Analysis' section of Flight Global:-
When the US Air Force’s Northrop Grumman B-21 bomber talks to the long-range standoff (LRSO) weapon, it will mark the first time a nuclear cruise missile communicates digitally with its delivery aircraft.
The USAF knows its next generation of nuclear weapons will be linked to a network. What it does not know is who else might be able to communicate with its most tenuous arsenal.
That is part of what a 2017 USAF Scientific Advisory Board study will delve into, as it examines certification and surety concerns for the recapitalised nuclear force. As new threats crop up in a digital landscape, the board will try to understand what other criteria must be developed to assess nuclear systems.
“These systems are going to be quite different from the ones that they may replace,” Scientific Advisory Board chair Werner Dahm told reporters during a December meeting at the Pentagon. “In particular, they will be much more like all systems today: network connected. They’ll be cyber enabled. That introduces potential surety concerns.”
As other conventional platforms have evolved, the nuclear force’s communication system has remained static. During a recent speech in Washington DC, USAF chief of staff Gen David Goldfein showed an 8in floppy disk – technology dating back to the early 1970s – to illustrate the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system’s vintage communication system. While the floppy disks remain functional, the service plans to replace them, to address obsolescence concerns.
“It is tough to hack,” Goldfein joked before striking a more sober tone, adding: “We require these today in the missile field – it’s time to modernise.”
My bold/underline. One sincerely hopes so! :eek:
PS - I have not given a link as one needs to be registered to access 'Analysis'.
When the US Air Force’s Northrop Grumman B-21 bomber talks to the long-range standoff (LRSO) weapon, it will mark the first time a nuclear cruise missile communicates digitally with its delivery aircraft.
The USAF knows its next generation of nuclear weapons will be linked to a network. What it does not know is who else might be able to communicate with its most tenuous arsenal.
That is part of what a 2017 USAF Scientific Advisory Board study will delve into, as it examines certification and surety concerns for the recapitalised nuclear force. As new threats crop up in a digital landscape, the board will try to understand what other criteria must be developed to assess nuclear systems.
“These systems are going to be quite different from the ones that they may replace,” Scientific Advisory Board chair Werner Dahm told reporters during a December meeting at the Pentagon. “In particular, they will be much more like all systems today: network connected. They’ll be cyber enabled. That introduces potential surety concerns.”
As other conventional platforms have evolved, the nuclear force’s communication system has remained static. During a recent speech in Washington DC, USAF chief of staff Gen David Goldfein showed an 8in floppy disk – technology dating back to the early 1970s – to illustrate the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system’s vintage communication system. While the floppy disks remain functional, the service plans to replace them, to address obsolescence concerns.
“It is tough to hack,” Goldfein joked before striking a more sober tone, adding: “We require these today in the missile field – it’s time to modernise.”
My bold/underline. One sincerely hopes so! :eek:
PS - I have not given a link as one needs to be registered to access 'Analysis'.