“Almost three years ago the naval systems arm of major UK defence contractor BAE Systems took the decision to standardise future development on Microsoft Windows. an immediate effect was to commit BAE’s joint venture CMS subsidiary, AMS, who specialise in naval Combat Management Systems, to implementing a Windows 2000-based CMS system for the new Type 45 Destroyer. But this prompted strong internal opposition from some of AMS’ engineers, who had a sound background in Unix and who had, despite resource starvation and a companywide policy to standardise on Windows, been investigating open source alternatives as a foundation for future combat systems,” John Lettice reports for The Register.
“They lost. Acting as spokesman for the concerned engineers Gerald Wilson compiled a 50 page dossier detailing the unsuitability of Windows as a foundation for a naval command system, and arguing that BAE’s Unix history and expertise made open source UN*X a logical and viable way forward. The company then made him redundant. In May of this year Wilson reiterated his concerns to the board of BAE Systems at the company’s AGM, pointing out that Windows is “proprietary technology owned by a foreign corporation”, has ‘many and continuing security flaws,’ and is not even warranted by Microsoft itself for safety-related use. Why then, he asked, is AMS ‘shunning established engineering practice’ by developing the Type 45’s CMS on Windows… And in case you’re wondering, the Vanguard class boats carry the UK’s Trident thermo-nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles. So some people think that’s a heap of responsibility for Windows to carry,” Lettice reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The MDN reader who forwarded us this link remarked, “Be very afraid…” Are you?
Jesus, are the Royal Navy that stupid?
I seriously think a mass protest is called for.
I wouldn’t trust Windows to make me breakfast (if it could). How could anyone rely on Windows to do anything this important. Especially when MS themselves says: “s not even warranted by Microsoft itself for safety-related use”.
Time to start building bomb shelters again.
The surface warships don’t carry the Royal Navy’s nukes. The submarines do.
Saying that, I wouldn’t want to be serving on a boat where the weapons systems depend on a “It looks like you’re trying to fire a missle” wizard. And considering the MOD has also recently purchased helicopters that can’t fly through cloud or fog, making them useless in the British climate, this decision doesn’t surprise me.
Didn’t our navy already do this…I seem to remember a story about a multimillion dollar ship that was stuck in harbor too many times to count.
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At least their nukes aren’t pointed toward the US
Don’t they remember the US Navy ship that got stranded about 5 years ago because it had Windows NT. Someone accidentally divided a number by “0” (zero) on the ships system. The whole ship shut down and it had to be towed back to the Navy base.
Nope, this is not an urban legend!
And why do I resent filling in my tax self-assessment form?
Freebee: I wouldn’t be so sure those missles are pointed away from us if Windoze is running them….. Perhaps they’ll all spontaneously point at 1 Infinite Loop or something
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This week end I joined a health club – it took almost 45 minutes and three computers using Winblows for my contract to finally be completed(they all kept crashing and freezing). This simple process involved typing about 20 words. Sure the computers were also running two other apps, a credit card program, and a membership log-in app with bar code scanner. But that’s it. Hardly severe hardship on the OS…but it kept failing.
And the UK expects Winblows to handle the ultimate in multi-tasking and critical functioning – in battle. They’re insane.
Quoting from a song popularized by R.E.M., “It’s the end of the world as we know it.”
they are using windows because they are useless and crappy as windows.
The British have a long proud history of military defeats.
Dave H: That was great! Ha ha ha….
It frightens me too. Imagine: “Your defense system is not compatible with your audio card, and will be shut down….”
Please, not 1 Infinite Loop!
To Windows: Redmond is much easier to hit.
Phone Home�Phone Home.
May be all the military contract (US or British or …) should require that the contractors must have source code to everything that goes into their system.
This is most excellent news for the free world. Already the United Terrorist States has demonstrated the effectiveness of using its operating system for guiding it’s army.
It is called the aim for Bin Ladden hit Saddam missile. A powerful blast but way off the mark.
Now we can see the perfect compliment to Britain and it’s empire upon which the sun never rises.
Well….let’s just hope that the UK’s opposition is not using OSX or any other. Or they will be creamed when Windows chokes.
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,13987,00.html
I’m appalled at this development. And that’s about all I can say.
Billy Gates:
“All your missiles are belong to us!”
Yeah, that’s one scary scenario…
I’m appalled at this development. And that’s about all I can say.
Road Ferry,
Typical lunatic, left wing, real muslim terrorist supporting, drivel. I bet your on the Chechan terrorists side in Russia you low life. Saddam murdered millions, paid out $25,000.00 to homicide bombers in Isreal, harbored and colaborated with all kinds of terrorists, was actively seeking WMDs (most likely in Syria now), etc., etc., etc. The world is much safer without this barbarian. Do you think the transition in Japan and Germany went easily? Check the history books and old newspapers. You’ll find the exact same crap went on. They are now much better places. Although Germany didn’t quite make it to Japans glory. Road Roach, what are you going to do about Iran and North Korea??????? I’ll answer that for you, nothing. Because you and the rest of the world are pussies. It will be up to the US again.
“Patriotism having become one of our topicks, Johnson suddenly uttered, in a strong determined tone, an apophthegm, at which many will start: “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” But let it be considered that he did not mean a real and generous love of our country, but that pretended patriotism which so many, in all ages and countries, have made a cloak of self- interest.”
Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784), quoted in Boswell’s Life of Johnson
“Our country puts $1 billion a year up to help feed the hungry. And we’re by far the most generous nation in the world when it comes to that, and I’m proud to report that. This isn’t a contest of who’s the most generous. I’m just telling you as an aside. We’re generous. We shouldn’t be bragging about it. But we are. We’re very generous.” �George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., July 16, 2003
Man that is really, really scarey, I have no idea why the Britts would do something so stupid.
Sorry for deviating off topic but this has to be said.
Dandy Boy, wake up to yourself. You country goes to war to defend it’s freedoms and yet when a person exercises their freedom of speech you go off the handle and accuse him of being a “left wing, real muslim terrorist suppoter who side with the chechan terroists.” Can you be any more discriminatory, immature and extremely insensitive in your postings. First and foremost Islam is not about terrorism, terrorist are just fanatics who abuse religion ( Christianity has it’s fair share of fanatics too ). Secondly your post about the tragedy in Russia is extremely insensitive and uncalled for. These people have experienced a large loss and you should not be so blatantly rude about this loss of life ( I bet you don’t like it when people say nasty comments about 9/11 ) Thirdly the arguement about wether the world is much safer post Iraq is argueable.
You ask the question what Road Warrior is going to do about Iran and North Korea, well what do you think the US should do, risk a nuclear war by invading North Korea, that’s smart. Have you ever heard of diplomacy and negotiation, it’s a wonderful concept.
You state that the rest of the world are pussies for not wanting to join the US led war, as I recall history correctly, the US at one point was also reluctant to go to war (against a man whom I’d say was far more a threat than Saddam ever was). But the US had good reason not to, did you ever stop to think that other countries also have good reason for not wanting to go to war.
You know Dandy Boy ( and you too Road Warrior), you should be careful what you type on these forums, this is available to the entire world (those with internet anyway). Comments such as yours not only reflect badly on yourself, but also reflect badly on your country. I am smart enough to realise that what you type is not a reflection of your countrymen, but others may not be. And these other might form an opinion of hate towards you country. I am onot saying this is the sole reason, just food for thought.
You are entitled to your own opinion, but so are others. IT’S CALLED FREEDOM.
P.S. sorry for any bad spelling its 2:44am and I am very tired.
Oh, we’re in trouble now. Remember the Yorktown, the Aegis-Class missle cruiser going dead in the water. Thanks for the link, Nacho. This happened not once, but a couple of times. Now it’s the U.K.’s turn.
The missile cannot be launched because the missile cannot be found. Please select one of the following options:
[Try Again] [Locate Missile] [Cancel Launch] [Connect to MSN] [Check Email]
* click *
I’m sorry, the Launch cannot be canceled because the countdown has restarted. Please select one of the following options:
[OK]
“What the fcuk…”
* click *
… Seven-one-thousand … Six-one-thousand … Five-one-thousand …
* click *
…Four-one-thousand … * click * click * click * … Three-one-thou …
(ctrl_alt_delete)
Countdown halted. Please select from one of the following options:
[Resume Countdown] [Cancel Launch] [Connect to MSN] [Check Email]
* click *
I’m sorry, the Launch cannot be canceled because the countdown has restarted. Please select one of the following options:
[OK]
* click *
… Two-one-thousand … One-one-thousand …
* click-clickity-click *
The missile cannot be launched because the missile cannot be found. Please select one of the following options:
“This belongs to the Outlaw Group
This belongs to the Outlaw Group
This belongs to the Outlaw Group
This belongs to the Outlaw Group
This belongs to the Outlaw Group”
* WWHHHOOOOOOSSSHHHHHHH *