I really and truly do hope that the claims made in the following article are true. Think for a minute about the potential environmental ramifications of a nuclear submarine not being ready for Y2K...

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/19991202/tc/y2k_russia_navy_1.html

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), December 02, 1999

Answers

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

Thursday December 2 9:52 AM ET

Russia Says Nuclear Ships Y2K Ready

MOSCOW (AP) - The year 2000 computer glitch presents no danger to the Russian navy's nuclear-powered fleet, contrary to a report released earlier this year by a prominent Norwegian environmental group, a Russian official said Thursday.

The Oslo, Norway-based environmental watchdog Bellona warned that Russia's Northern Fleet doesn't have the money to deal with the so- called ``millennium bug,'' which threatens to foul up computers that can't distinguish between 1900 and 2000.

It said the bug could wreak havoc with the fleet and might make its computers report false missile attacks, raising the possibility of a mistaken counterstrike.

In a news conference Thursday, Northern Fleet commander Vyacheslav Popov said the fleet had long ago taken care of the Y2K glitch. He dismissed Bellona's claims as ``nonsense.''

Popov did not say where the navy, which has been nearly broke since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, found the funds to deal with Y2K.

The Northern Fleet is based on the Kola Peninsula of northwestern Russia, and operates 40 nuclear-powered submarines and three nuclear surface ships, according to Bellona, which specializes in studying the region.

Russia has been far behind other countries in preparing for possible Y2K problems. But the U.S. military has been working with Russian officials to ensure that the computer bug does not threaten Russia's nuclear missile systems, and both sides say accidental launches will not occur.

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-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), December 02, 1999.

(Q)What does an "environmental watchdog" group know about failure modes for embedded systems used in Soviet nuclear submarines?

(A)Probably absolutely nothing

Please post better articles -- no more speculation on what COULD go wrong -- we need data on how much has been remediated and tested -- POTENTIAL problems were discussed two years ago!

-- Richard Greene (Rgreene2@ford.com), December 02, 1999.

Richard,

[snip]

In a news conference Thursday, Northern Fleet commander Vyacheslav Popov said the fleet had long ago taken care of the Y2K glitch. He dismissed Bellona's claims as ``nonsense.''

[snip]

There's the "data" about how much has been remediated. As I said, I hope it's true.

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), December 02, 1999.

HHmmmmm, their subs can track the missiles flying around the atmosphere, NOT! The tracking of incoming missiles is not performed by each individual submarine. That is why they have all of these early warning radar installations circling the big countries to track and report to the central command who talks to TPTB who make the decisions to send the message to the central communication stations who tell the subs what to do and when to do it.

I would suggest Janes for mil information before reading a Sierra club type press release on ballistic missile sub's.

-- squid (Itsdark@down.here), December 02, 1999.

Just so there's no misunderstanding...what I'm hoping is true is the Russian assertion that Y2K has already been addressed. Also, it wasn't the part about missles that got my attention. It was the phrase "nuclear-powered submarines."

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), December 02, 1999.

Russia Says Nuclear Ships [Y2K] Ready...

Methinks that is the pertinent situation!

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), December 02, 1999.

Ya, Russian subs are ready to blast the U.S. before Y2K. Wouldn't want to let all that first strike planning go to waste. They will use it or loose it. Think about it, Russia has the worst econemy ever,known y2k problems with power,oil pipelines, infastructure. The Russian general public is brainwashed into thinking the United States did it to them(probably true). On top of all that we are rolling in money over here, the envy of the world. We have a president that is not trust worthy who is pulling his embasy staff back home. Boris Yeltzen in the Hospital probably not even in control. What do you think?

-- Gambler (scotanna@arosnet.com), December 03, 1999.

If any major fact is wrong that makes the article suspect. But to address those bad nuclear reactors, I HOPE THE RUSSIAN NAVY'S NUCLEAR REACTOR'S DO NOT WORK! It is a lot less nerve wracking playing hide and seek games if their subs are KAPUT in the harbor thank you very much.

If they are not in their pens hooked up to shore power at the end of December. We have been had and we are toast. No butter, no jelly and the MRE's and gas masks will not help most of our population.

If they have more than normal out to sea at this moment TPTB know the clock is truly ticking.

-- squid (Itsdark@down.here), December 03, 1999.

Past events make them look like a bunch of seagoing Homer Simpsons. They've got submarine nuclear safety problems, Y2K or not.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), December 03, 1999.