Out with the Old: German Navy Phases Out Floppy Disks in F123 Frigates
Explore how the German Navy’s upgrade from 8-inch floppy disks in F123 frigates reveals a tech transformation.
- The German Navy is planning to replace outdated 8-inch floppy disks in its Brandenburg-class frigates with a modern onboard emulation system, which Saab will oversee.
- This update will occur between October 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025, improving the data acquisition systems responsible for critical functions like propulsion and power generation.
The German Navy is taking a big step forward by replacing the outdated 8-inch floppy disks used in its Brandenburg-class F123 frigates. This change highlights how some areas still depend on old technology, much to the surprise of tech enthusiasts and the public.
The F123 frigates, commissioned between 1994 and 1996, have used these floppy disks for their data acquisition systems (DAQ), which control important ship functions like propulsion and power generation. Even though more advanced storage solutions are available, these floppy disks have been used because they are reliable, and changing the whole system is complicated.
The Swedish company Saab’s modernization plan will replace the floppy disks with an onboard emulation system. This approach will keep the DAQ systems working while adding modern storage technology. The switch will start on October 1, 2024, and finish by July 31, 2025. The F123 frigates will stay in service until their replacements, the F126s, finish their development between 2028 and 2031.
See more: Five Steps for a Robust Storage Infrastructure
The use of floppy disks by the German Navy is not exceptional. Until last month, Japan’s government enforced the use of floppy disks for certain official functions, but Digital Minister Taro Kono just halted the practice. Likewise, the United States Air Force replaced its 8-inch floppies with solid-state drives (SSDs) in 2019.
Many industries tend to use outdated technologies, such as floppy disks, and show the difficulties of transitioning to modern systems. San Francisco’s Muni Metro light rail system will continue to employ 5¼-inch floppies until 2030. Chuck E. Cheese’s animatronics and professional embroiderers still use Floppy disks.
Modern data storage systems have several benefits over floppy disks. The most commonly used options include:
- SSDs (solid-state drives) are popular for personal and professional data storage due to their speed and reliability.
- While slower than SSDs, HDDs (hard disk drives) offer larger storage capabilities for a low cost.
- USB Flash Drives are suitable for data transport and storage.
- Cloud storage services, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive, allow users to store and access data from any location with an internet connection.
- NAS (network attached storage) is suitable for household and small business use. It enables centralized data storage that can be accessed from various devices.
Some industries still use floppy disks, which reminds us that it’s important to balance reliable, old systems with new technology. The German Navy is updating its systems using better data storage, joining a broader trend. However, this marks the end of the era for the floppy disk.
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