Windows 2000 Based Warships

[Veldor]

Wondering what all you skeptics that won't even run XP at home think about this? To be launched in 2005, warships with combat management systems based entirely on Windows 2000, Including the Type 45 Destroyer which will be nearly entirely Windows 2000 Based and launched by 2007. And of course, there is still talk about the CVN77 Carrier, though in that particular case, mostly unconfirmed in relationship to mission-critical systems. The US DD21 has actually had Microsoft onboard since 2000, but again, in that case, their role is mostly speculative. However it is now confirmed that at least in the case of the Brit's.. Windows 2000 Based Warships are soon to be a reality...

"In the case of the Royal Navy the company's products (AMS) really are achieving penetration of battle control systems. AMS/BAE have long experience of delivering such systems using Unix, and this experience went into AMS when the jv company was set up.

But AMS is now committed to Windows, and says it intends to base future Combat Management Systems on Windows variants, describing Windows as a viable underlying operating system for operational systems.

The systems in question do not perform non-critical tasks such as allowing jolly jack tars to download porn while they hang around the Arabian Gulf waiting for something to happen. They control the combat picture in real-time, and deliver the information the vessels' commanders need in order to decide when to fire torpedoes, nuke Baghdad or whatever. "

etc. etc.

[CCB]

Gives a whole new meaning to the word "patch".

[rockymtndoc]

I don't think I want sophisticated weapons of mass destruction controlled by anything whipped up by Bill Gaters during one of his recurrent wet dreams!:p