U.S. Space Force pushes to modernize outdated nuclear tracking system

The United States Space Force (USSF), the newest branch of the U.S. military, initiated a project to upgrade its aging nuclear weapons tracking system, which had been in place since the 1990s. The Space Force issued a 'sources-sought' notice seeking industry assistance to update the software used in the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) National Data Center (NDC). The current system is characterized by over three million lines of legacy code and is incompatible with modern cloud computing infrastructure. This overhaul aims to enhance the system's maintainability, scalability, reliability, and cost-efficiency. The NDC plays a crucial role in the USSF's mission to detect nuclear explosions globally. The legacy software's monolithic architecture presents significant challenges, making it difficult to maintain and update. Experts in the field, such as Dr. Jim Purtilo from the University of Maryland, have highlighted the tech challenges involved in rewriting old code into a cloud-compatible format. This process is expected to pose a range of difficulties, including potential errors and increased costs, which may arise from translating code from older programming languages to more current ones suited for cloud execution. There are concerns about security threats that could emerge from migrating such a sensitive nuclear tracking system to the cloud. While cloud computing is often considered a better alternative for scalability and efficiency, experts stress the importance of evaluating the risks involved in processing sensitive data in a cloud environment. Careful consideration must be given to where tasks will be executed and how data will be transmitted from collection points to processing units. The potential use of AI tools to analyze and reconstruct old code has been suggested as an avenue to ease the transition; however, this approach also carries its own set of complexities. Despite the challenges, the Space Force is committed to defending the space domain while actively monitoring for foreign threats. This modernization effort, while fraught with potential complications, represents a critical step forward in enhancing the capabilities of the U.S. military in detecting nuclear threats. The successful implementation of this project could significantly improve the responsiveness of the NDC to nuclear detection, aligning military readiness with contemporary technological standards.