Britain's fleet of missile submarines, HMS Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant, and Vengeance, are four of the deadliest ships ever built. Armed with nuclear weapons, the four "boomers" patrol the oceans, providing a powerful deterrent against a surprise nuclear attack on the United Kingdom.
The four Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines provide the UK's entire nuclear deterrent. Each nuclear-powered submarine has up to eight Trident II missiles and a total of 40 nuclear warheads. That's enough firepower to devastate entire countries. It's an awesome responsibility, and the submarines are built to the task. Nuclear reactors provide enough power to remain submerged almost indefinitely, while Spearfish torpedoes provide defense against enemy submarines.
The four submarines have just one critical flaw: They all run Windows XP.
The submarines were commissioned in the 1990s. According to The Guardian, Windows XP was installed because it was "cheaper than alternatives." The software is even branded as "Windows for Submarines." A joke? We're not sure.
Microsoft ended security updates for Windows XP in 2014, meaning that the Vanguardsubmarines could be vulnerable to viruses, malware, and cyberattacks. As with any software release, each update fixes existing problems but introduces the likelihood of new ones. The Redmond, Washington company issued a grim reminder to XP holdouts in 2014, warning: "Any PC running Windows XP after April 8, 2014 should not be considered protected as there will be no security updates for the Windows XP operating system."
The U.S. Navy also still runs Windows XP, but it is paying for extra security and updates while it transitions to more modern operating systems. A $9 million dollar tech support deal it cut with Microsoft is good until July 2016, with an option to extend for another year for $31 million. The Guardian article makes no mention of the Royal Navy cutting a similar deal, the UK's Ministry of Defence only insisting the submarines are "safe and secure."
The Royal Navy is currently designing the next generation of its ballistic missile submarines to replace the Vanguard class, with the first boat to be delivered in 2028. Twenty years from now, there's a good chance Popular Mechanics will be decrying the submarines' reliance on Windows 10.
