Transformation of the analog: the case of the Saab BT 33 artillery fire control simulator and the introduction of the digital computer as control technology

This paper is about the development of modern artillery fire control simulators. The Saab BT 33 had few equals when it was operational in the early 1970s. The accounts describe the introduction of the digital computer and its victory over older control technologies during long-term social change. The case illustrates the role of engineering and craft in practice, ultimately to make the practice more controllable. The case also shows how piecemeal solutions risk becoming victims of technical innovations. The use of modern information technology for control and other purposes, only if socially accepted in its context within strong traditions, may be efficient.