Pentagon Says Y2K Glitches In Defense Computers Will Be Minor (??)

Key Quote: ``We will be 100 percent ready by the end of the year.'' Now theres a comforting thought, and a big slipped deadline! -- Diane

Pentagon says Y2K glitches in defense computers will be minor

ROBERT BURNS, Associated Press Writer Friday, January 15, 1999

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/1999/01/15/national0121EST0434.DTL

(01-15) 01:21 EST WASHINGTON (AP) -- Pentagon officials say all computer systems critical to U.S. national defense, including those linked to nuclear weapons, will be safe from program bugs before 1999 changes to 2000.

``We will be 100 percent ready by the end of the year,'' Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre said Thursday. As of Dec. 31, 1998 the Pentagon had certified that 81 percent of ``mission critical'' computer systems were ready for the arrival of 2000, he said.

President Clinton had asked all government agencies to reach the 100 percent ready mark by March 1999. The Defense Department will be at the 93 percent mark by then, Hamre said.

The Defense Department ``went into hyperdrive'' with its Year 2000, or Y2K, work after realizing last August that it was moving too slowly in preparing the approximately 2,300 crucial computer systems, Hamre said. In all, the Pentagon has about 10,000 computer systems.

Hamre said minor glitches are likely to crop up on Jan. 1, 2000. ``I think it's going to clearly be in a category of nuisance,'' he said. ``I'm very confident we won't have major problems.''

The Y2K problem begins when computers try to add or subtract dates using only the last two digits of the year -- 00 in the case of 2000 -- which may confuse computers into reading the date as 1900. Larger, older mainframe computers used by government and big corporations for many vital functions are particularly vulnerable.

The bill for fixing the Pentagon's computers and testing them will reach $2.5 billion, Hamre said.

Special attention is being given computer systems that affect the U.S. nuclear arsenal, he said.

Hamre said that in December the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, ran a three-day series of about 30 simulated missile attacks to ensure that its Y2K-compliant computer systems would run properly in providing attack warning and assessment.

``In every case the systems worked as designed,'' he said.

Some individual nuclear systems, including Trident submarines carrying nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, already are certified as ready for 2000, he said.

By the end of this year, all other U.S. warfighting commands worldwide will run their own tests to evaluate the completeness of Pentagon computer fixes that affect them, Hamre said.

The deputy defense secretary said U.S. officials are working with the Russian government on its 2000 preparations, but he indicated that Moscow has been moving too slowly.

Hamre acknowledged ``some nervousness'' in Washington about potential computer problems in Russia. ``They don't seem to have the same level of urgency that we have had over it,'' he said, while adding that there is little worry about accidental Russian nuclear launches.

Separately, a Russian expert on the Y2K problem said Thursday that ``the problem with strategic weapons has been solved,'' but that questions remain about Russia's air defenses and early warning systems.

Andrei Terekov, director of a firm helping Russian companies with the Y2K transition, said it was unlikely Y2K would cause warheads to detonate or missiles to be fired by mistake.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 15, 1999

Answers

So? Do you not trust the Pentagon's ability to implement contengency plans if necessary? What that article doesn't say is what consequences there will be if the Y2K isn't fixed in time. And you go and jump to the worst case scenario when it's probable that the "consequnces" will be minor if anything.

-- joe schmo (Foo@barred.commy), January 15, 1999.

Just compare this press release with a memo by Cohen sent throughout the DoD. Who ya gonna trust?

Secretary Of Defense -- William S. Cohen, August 7, 1998

http:// www.dtic.mil/c3i/y2k/secdefmemo.html

Subject: Year 2000 Compliance

The Department of Defense (DoD) is making insufficient progress in its efforts to solve its Y2K computer problem. ...

... We will take a hard look at progress in November and December. If we are still lagging behind, all further modification to software, except those needed for Y2K remediation, will be prohibited after January 1, 1999.

I ask for your personal, priority involvement as we address this critical national defense issue.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 15, 1999.

hmm...let's see...

Government cost of toilet seat - $5000.00
Government timetable for new system procurement - 10 years
Government record on software development (IRS, FAA, etc) - EXTREMELY POOR

Yeah Joe, there's plenty of room for optimism.

-- a (a@a.a), January 15, 1999.

remember too, folks - they're only *attempting* to remediate somewhere around 18 - 20 percent of their total systems - that's all that they've declared "mission critical"...so if they're lucky they'll have 100 percent of 20 percent...which leaves one wondering what the other 80 percent might be, no?

"okay soldier, hold onto that tin can, and for heaven's sake keep the string tight!"...

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), January 15, 1999.

The latest OBM report showed the DOD progress to be so far from compliant that it appears that only a miracle from God could have created such a dramatic increase in remediation. Either we should be praising God for the miracle or... the number of "mission critical" systems may have decreased, again??

-- Sue (conibear@gateway.net), January 15, 1999.