Re:Feds: Critical Software Must Drop C/C++ by 2026 or Face Risk
by anonymousiam on Friday November 01, 2024 @12:23AM
(#42014041)
I was going to post that the same sort of mandate had applied to Ada, and was eventually abandoned. I remember Ada the mandate, but I recall obtaining waivers from the mandate (on specific DoD programs) before 1991. I predict that this mandate will suffer the same fate as the previous one.
A quick search confirms my memory:
The DoD Ada language mandate, which required the use of the Ada programming language for most Department of Defense software projects, was established on March 30, 1987 through Department of Defense Directive 3405.2.
Rust is not the only option. The Ada programming language was developed in the early 1980s, primarily for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Ada was designed for safety-critical embedded systems and real-time applications, especially in areas like avionics and military systems. In 1991 the DoD mandated Ada, but then reversed the decision in 1997. As I read the linked article and the governments "strong stance" I'm wondering if history will repeat itself.