You'd be forgiven for thinking that floppy disks have long since disappeared, but in reality their use is more common than you might think, although perhaps not for much longer.
In January 2024, the Japanese government announced that it would take steps to abandon a decades-long practice of insisting that companies ship supplemental data on floppy disks (or CD-ROMs). Then, in July 2024, Japan’s Digital Agency declared that it had successfully abolished 1,034 regulations governing the use of floppy disks. Taro Kono, Japan’s Minister of Digital Transformation and head of the Digital Agency, grandly announced, “On June 28, we won the war against floppy disks!”
Now, Geradeau Eyes The German Navy is reportedly considering following suit and replacing the floppy disk drives used on its four Brandenburg-class F123 frigates with a modern emulated solution. These anti-submarine frigates were put into service between 1994 and 1996, when floppy disks were the ultimate storage medium. Floppy disk 1 can store between 242,944 bytes and 1.2 MB (depending on the version) and is used in the frigates’ data acquisition systems.
Emulation battle stations
Saab has recently signed a contract with the German Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) to supply and equip new naval radars and fire control directors for the German F123 frigates, including a new combat management system. The data acquisition system, for which the floppy drives are used, is a separate part of the upgrade process and will not be managed by Saab.
Geradeau Eyes According to the newspaper, the system “is an essential part of controlling the actual functions of a frigate. Although it has nothing to do with weapons systems, it is important for controlling the engine or power generation because the operating parameters must be recorded.”
To avoid having to replace the entire measurement technology, the Navy has the option of leaving the existing storage media or finding an emulation replacement that acts as if it were a floppy drive. BAAINBw is currently seeking a supplier for the latter option.
The continued use of floppy disks highlights the challenge of modernizing legacy systems in critical operations. While new technologies offer vast improvements, the cost and complexity of overhauling rooted systems can often be prohibitive. Emulation solutions offer a middle ground, allowing for incremental upgrades without the need for major hardware changes.
