What type of storage is commonly associated with military hardware and industrial control systems?

Floppy disk drives are often associated with military hardware and industrial control systems due to their simplicity, reliability, and long-standing use in environments where high levels of data integrity and stability are required. These systems often rely on older technology that can be easier to maintain and troubleshoot, especially in situations where newer technology may not be compatible or where legacy systems are still in operation.

Floppy disks can also be advantageous in certain scenarios where data needs to be easily exchanged or removed from a system without the risk of compromising more modern interfaces that are susceptible to cyber threats. The physical and straightforward nature of floppy disks makes them an attractive choice for military and industrial systems where the focus is often on reliability and the minimization of potential vulnerabilities.

In contrast, while alternatives like SSDs, tape drives, and external hard drives offer modern capabilities and higher data storage capacities, they may not always align with the needs or constraints of military and industrial applications, particularly where backwards compatibility or long-term data preservation is a factor.