After months of preparation and $36 billion later, the Defense Department issued its final prognosis for the Y2K readiness of its mission critical systems, saying it is completely ready.
At a Thursday press conference, Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre announced that with the exception of two intelligence-related systems, which are scheduled to be repaired in January, the department is fully prepared to undertake any missions that might arise around the time of the date rollover. The nuclear, communications and defense systems are in the clear, putting the department's completion rate at 99.9 percent.
"This is a war-fighting issue for us, not a computer technology issue," said Hamre.
The department encountered very few minor problems while testing its systems, said Adm. Bob Willard, who has been leading the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Y2K Task Force.
The final Y2K status report comes after months of monitoring and testing to ensure the national security of the department's infrastructure. Hamre expressed dismay that "very old systems" are still being used at the Defense Department, but said that 15 percent of antiquated systems at the agency have been retired.
"We didn't replace nearly as many as I would have liked," he said.
While Hamre said he does not anticipate any dramatic occurrences as a result of the Y2K computer glitch, he noted that the department is working with virus protection companies to counter any hacking attempts that might take place. There are also special procedures in place to monitor suspicious activity.
"We are continually watching," he said. "There is definite concern that there may be terrorist action around the world."
Also a top priority for DoD is the Y2K Center for Strategic Stability in Colorado Springs, Colo., where the U.S. and Russia will pool their forces to monitor any false warnings of missile launches caused by the Y2K computer bug. Russian officials will be arriving at the Center on Dec. 22, beginning operation on the 28th and wrapping up on Jan. 27, 2000. Although the U.S. has funneled about $10 million to help Russia prepare its systems for the date changeover, Hamre alluded to the nation's reluctance to disclose much information about its computers.
The Russians "have been genuinely apprehensive about letting us in to the inner workings of their command and control systems," Hamre said. "So a lot of our confidence is based on what they tell us and the way it confirms what we know through our normal assessment methods."
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