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U.S. experts to run Y2K tests on strategic Russian facilities

By The Associated Press ) 1999

MOSCOW  American experts will conduct millennium-bug tests on some of Russias strategic facilities, including nuclear reactors at power plants, U.S. officials said Saturday.

Russia and the United States agreed Saturday that the tests would happen in November. They also decided to establish a crisis center to monitor and safeguard nuclear materials.

Russia, which for a long time denied it was susceptible to the computer bug, is now considered one of the countries least prepared for computer failures that may come in the year 2000.

We want to make sure that Soviet nuclear reactors, their telecommunications system, their entire production system is working efficiently and effectively, Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson said after meeting with Russian Atomic Energy Minister Yevgeny Adamov.

Many of Russias mainframe computers, including those working at nuclear reactors, were designed in the 1970s and likely contain the glitch that renders them incapable of distinguishing between the years 1900 and 2000.

A computer that misreads the date could automatically shut down or malfunction.

But with paramount economic troubles, the government has had trouble finding the cash to repair potentially troublesome mainframes. For months the government denied it had a problem, and experts feared the worst.

Saturdays agreement was signed after the unveiling of a crisis situation center at the Russian Nuclear Power Ministry, and calls for Russia to register, monitor and protect nuclear materials in storage, as well as being transported.

It also requires that Russian factories working with nuclear materials be equipped with modern computer systems.

The center will provide a direct link between our two countries, one that allows us to continue refining our approach to the protection and control of nuclear materials and warheads, Richardson said after the signing.

Richardson, referring to Thursdays accident at a uranium processing plant in Japan, said nuclear crisis centers had become a necessity. The crisis in Japan gives urgency to the crisis center here, he said. We can guarantee through this center that, should a nuclear accident take place, we are prepared to step into the crisis and provide the action and leadership.

On Friday, Richardson inaugurated a civilian computer center that would incorporate high-performance IBM computers, ending a long-standing conflict over their sale to Russia.

Russia bought the 16 computers in 1996 for nuclear weapons research, bypassing U.S. export regulations that required licenses for their export to military and nuclear installations.

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@Y2KOK.ORG), October 04, 1999

Answers

they want to test in NOVEMBER??? and how about using some their money to fix their GD computers instead of building some more GD ballistic missiles????? damn, but they're stupid!!

-- sarah (qubr@aol.com), October 04, 1999.

Sarah: The Russians are using our expertise to fix their infrastructure and using our computers (IBMs) to do their nuclear research, which is Russia means nuclear weapons, thereby freeing up their funds for more missiles to aim at us. Now who is stupid, the Russians or the U.S.?

-- cody (cody@y2ksurvive.com), October 04, 1999.

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The fact that the Russians are allowing the US specialists to help them AT ALL in such a sensitive security area SPEAKS VOLUMES.

Could we have imagined that such a closed society would even consider allowing foreigners within highly classified areas such as these.

It is truly hard to comprehend the authorities in Russia using their authority and discretion in this way with such a delicate issue.

This speaks loudly of highly placed earnest concern within the Russian Government on the issue of repair of these systems.

And it especially speaks loudly of the Russians current understanding of the severe time constraints involved.

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-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), October 04, 1999.

WHEN the November tests locate serious problems in a major system, there won't be time enough to remediate, test, and implement. The only alternative will be shut down until repairs can be made. It's going to be a cold winter.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), October 05, 1999.