jtchew@csa2.lbl.gov (JOSEPH T CHEW) (08/31/90)
From: jtchew@csa2.lbl.gov (JOSEPH T CHEW)
{The following posting appeared on the newsgroup comp.risks. Its author,
who does not read this group (yet), asked that I post it here. He invites
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Date: Wed, 29 Aug 90 22:40:52 PDT
From: Pete Mellor <pm@cs.city.ac.uk>
Subject: Stonefish - the software strikes back?
>From Channel 4 news last night (Tue. 28th Aug.):
It is reported that Iraq may be deploying some of the Royal Navy's latest
high-tech weaponry. Apparently this is causing US commanders to be reluctant
to send aircraft carriers into the northern area of the Gulf.
The villain of the piece is the smart mine 'Stonefish', developed by Marconi
Underwater Systems under contract to the Royal Navy. This little charmer is
so cute it listens to the engine noise of ships passing overhead, and can tell
what type of vessel is within range. It 'hides' from minesweepers, and
blows the backside off anything else.
At the heart of the system is (you've guessed it!) 'highly sophisticated and
classified' *software*.
The Channel 4 investigators have in their possession the 'Technical Description
and Specification' of Stonefish. The cover sheet and first few pages of this
document were actually shown on screen, and looked pretty authentic, with the
Marconi logo and classification 'UK restricted: commercial in confidence'
clearly visible.
C4's copy, however, comes not from Marconi's Watford HQ, but from a source not
a million miles removed from Cardoen International, a Chilean firm (no boring
restrictions on arms sales there!) described by an expert from Jane's as being
specialists in the 'laundering' of military technology for the benefit of third
world countries (at least, those with adequate oil revenues to pay for it).
Cardoen has well-established links with Iraq.
The implication is not that Stonefish has been sold bundled to Iraq, but enough
technical information is in dubious hands for the Iraqis to have a good go at
building a look-alike.
Carlos Cardoen, filmed at a news conference, said that he had a very close
relationship with Marconi, and some of their guys had visited him.
Marconi said 'We have no relationship with Cardoen.' and refused to be
interviewed.
An expert from an outfit called something like 'Naval Weapons Review' gave it
as his opinion that Iraq probably has 'a limited number of quite sophisticated
mines', but implied that we shouldn't worry too much, since 'the Navy would
not let a UK contractor simply hand over the software for a weapons system'.
So there you have it. Saddam Hussein is in the Stonefish plug-compatible
market, but our Navies are safe provided he can't get his hands on the
operating system.
All of which prompts me to wonder:-
1. If the Iraqis have the software for a 'limited number' of mines, why
haven't they got enough for an unlimited number?
(Perhaps the blockade is working, and they haven't got enough floppy disks
to make the copies. :-)
2. How does Stonefish 'hide' from a minesweeper? The cylindrical object shown
in the newsreel shots doesn't look as though it is capable of crawling
under a rock. Perhaps it just switches off its disk drive to stop the noise
and pretends to be an oil-drum. :-)
3. How reliably can Stonefish identify ships by their engine noise signature?
What happens if your cruiser's big ends are rattling?
4. Does Stonefish rely on some sort of sonar transponder
to distinguish friend from foe? (Remember the Falklands helicopter!)
5. What are the chances that Iraq already has the software? (After all, we all
know Arabs can't write programs, and software is rather difficult to
smuggle through customs. :-)
6. The sophistication of Stonefish's recognition system argues for some kind
of artificial intelligence. If it's that smart, would it know who was
winning and change sides accordingly? :-)
7. Isn't it time that Jane's produced 'All the World's Software'?
Peter Mellor, Centre for Software Reliability, City University, Northampton Sq.
London EC1V 0HB +44(0)71-253-4399 Ext. 4162/3/1 p.mellor@uk.ac.city (JANET)