Sébastien Roblin

I was moved by that episode- the tragedy of which I think is never 'fixed' IIRC? Children tainted by association with hated occupiers through no fault of their own. Lives both victim & perpetrator would rather sweep under the rug. Bracing stuff...

Laudatory unfortunately.

Aren't the Nilfgardians more German-coded?

Japan’s Drone Doctrine Evolves with Shield AI V-BAT Japan is turning to vertical takeoff drones like Shield AI’s V-BAT to extend the reach of its offshore patrol vessels, signaling a broader shift toward autono

And here's the web-format version of above article. However, the magazine format-version above has a bit more content, notably a section surveying other UAVs integrated into Japan's military, or with potential (drone fighters on carriers?) and a V-BAT 5.3 performance specs rundown. 2/2

Inside Unmanned Systems June/July 2025 Page 46

What's Japan's Self Maritime Defense Force (JMSDF) doing with drones? It's finally putting some on ships! Read on to learn about procurement of MQ-35 V-BATS to operate from Next Gen Offshore Patrol Vessels, V-BAT's combat ops in Ukraine & how its 5.3 submodel improved range, endurance & safety. 1/2

I think it's fine too, especially for dedicated kamikaze FPVs calling them anything else than a munition is pretty silly. RE: industry, I've seen U.S. manufacturers talk about single-digit thousand-dollar prices (progress! most were tens-of-thousands before) but not sub $1,000.

Policy is aimed at ensuring every "squad" has its own drone by 2026. Ironically priority will be accorded Pacific per-Elbridge policies, though mass SUAS are far more relevant to ground wars in Europe (lack range to traverse long oceanic distances absent not-yet-developed delivery systems.) 2/2

New DoD Policy: “Unleashing” Small Drones, Cutting Regulations On July 10 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled a memorandum detailing an initiative seeking to cut the gordian knot slowing down adoption of small aeri

Hegseth's DoD is trying to jump start integrating small drones (SUAS) into military services by new de-regulations reducing testing, training, procurement & design-standard requirements; new program offices & drone "ranges"; and re-classifying smallest drones as 'consumables' like ammunition. 1/2

America's JASSM Missile Has One Goal: Crush Russia and China's A2/AD Weapons Early in the morning of April 14, 2018, two sinister black jets took off from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The huge B-1B Lancer bombers, nicknamed “Bones,” were distinguished by the sinuous profile of ...

One reservation U.S. has had on transferring JASSM is that Russia (and by proxy eventually China) will inevitably learn about JASSM through wreckage and combat experience. However, Trump admin first employed 19x JASSMs for strikes on Syria in 2018 (read below). Still, more strikes=better intel. 3/3

Ukraine Can Now Target Russian Bases With Western Missiles—But How Many Remain? Germany's chancellor says Ukraine no longer is restricted from striking military targets on Russian soil with Western weapons. But how many does Ukraine have left to use?

So take rumor with a grain of salt. Ultimately, who knows what will happen given the wild swings in policy of Trump administration? JASSM's 230-to-330-mile-range variant, is similar to Storm Shadows/SCALPs Ukraine has used but stealthier. A menace to Russian bases nearer to Ukraine's border. 2/3

Rumors are circulating that U.S. is "considering" transfer of JASSM stealth cruise missiles to equip Ukraine's F-16s. That's possible if Trump is in retaliatory mood re: Putin. But rumor's source is not very reliable (in "3 F-35s shot down by Iran" kind of way) and generally Russia-leaning. 1/3

Thanks for laying out your argument. I guess it sounds hard to recenter the NatSec debate from between think tanks with opposing agendas to a system where the debate/discourse happens internally within an intellectually diverse establishment. Would be one hell of an organizational culture!

So from the outside what would an improved CNAS look like? Would it have more of a forthright and big picture policy agenda rather than existing as an analysis workshop? Would it be cultivating a bigger stable of professionals for the next administration?

High praise indeed, the Pyro GX was something else!

YouTube video by Apple TV Murderbot — Official Trailer | Apple TV+

One thing I like about Murderbot is that its main human characters are sincerely idealistic. Not in a cynical faux way with underlying agenda, they actually just believe in their ideals! On the other hand, the show also portrays them as very stupid and naive! And everyone not them is just terrible.

Agreed! Sadly, my understanding is that commercially the A380's super size isn't paying off due to wrong passenger volumes.

Interesting, and makes a lot of sense. In general my impression of surface ship RCS-reduction stealth is that it's a good quality to have (reduces target acquisition range somewhat), but not one that can be maximized to decisive advantage in the way aircraft stealth can be.

Glad some are calling the obvious mendacity. Blocked aid included missiles U.S. has retired/is retiring from use, 30 PAC-3 missiles of $120 million value (=1x F-35), artillery shells equal to a fraction of U.S. monthly production. U.S. likely just spent $1 billion-ish in missiles protecting Israel.

Whatever you do, don't mention the Mughals!

Perhaps the saving grace of thr Fords will be EMAGS better drone-launch capability. I've read an argument that instead of a neo A-6 a long range stealthy surface attack drone might be more efficient. Maybe get better range margins from that?

Just arrived at entrance

I am more of your view: fleet needs fighters that can rove interceptor-like far ahead to detect and thin out threats & fight for air superiority where Air Force's fighters are lacking projection due to basing/range limitations without CTF having to get too close. F/A-18 & F-35 both lack the legs.

How Did Israel’s Air Defenses Fair Against Iran’s Ballistic Missiles? The 12 day Iran-Israel war this June pitted Iran’s arsenal of medium-range ballistic missiles against Israel’s multi-layer air defense system. How well did it perform?

A look into the numbers of the Iran-Israel ballistic missile war: how many missiles and defensive interceptors were launched, how many reached their target, and which side could last longer.

Report says culprits weren't Wagner Group as many thought, but Moscow General Staff with a political agenda. While planning a massive war someone thought it a smart idea to murder a bunch of sleeping prisoners with armored vehicles & exotic ammo & blame it on Western weapons. Here's the report.3/3

A grotesque detail from report: Investigators determined that Russia fired 120mm thermobaric rounds--highly lethal to building occupants--into barracks using two Nona-S gun-mortar armored vehicles. Sound of which was masked by concurrent Grad rocket barrage, as was suspected at time. 2/3

Russia Claims Ukraine Killed Its Own POWs—Here’s Why Few Believe It On July 28, a blast consumed a building in Eastern Ukraine, killing 53 Ukrainian POWs sleeping inside. Moscow claimed the prison had been struck by a rocket fired by a HIMARS artillery system given to...

The UN Office of High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) just released a report describing how in 2022 Russia deliberately murdered a barracks full of Ukrainian prisoners at Olenivka & blamed it on Western artillery. I wrote on this incident at the time & why Russia's account was incredible. 1/3

Avenue 5: the RPG? (kidding! Imperial cruiser way more interesting than post-apocalyptic Earth cruise.)

UK to buy 12 nuclear-carrying F-35A jets from the United States and join NATO nuclear mission | CNN The decision represents a major strengthening of Britain’s nuclear posture.

Looks like UK's Royal Air Force is re-introducing a nuclear role it had abandoned, carrying B61 nuclear gravity bombs on short-range fighters. This involves acquiring UK's first F-35A stealth jets; until now, UK has only operated F-35B jump jets useable for carrier operations.

Should lastly stress, even if your face-saving ballistic missile attack is calculated to minimize odds of major damage, it's still a risk I don't recommend! You can't be certain enemy air defense will perform on par, or where those missiles will land or the debris from their interception. 3/3

Iran Just Struck U.S. Bases in Iraq With Ballistic Missiles. Here’s Why They’re Tehran’s Favored Weapon. Iran claimed it launched 10 Fateh-110 short-range ballistic missiles—the Pentagon reported “over a dozen”—at U.S. forces in Iraq in at least two locations: Ain-al-Asad airbase and Erbil in central and northern Iraq respectively.

Worth recalling Iran's 2020 attack on U.S. bases in Iraq was more serious & Trump didn't retaliate then. Incredibly, there was no ballistic missile defense in region, so troops had to sit in bunkers and take it and base was blasted. We'll see if he reacts similarly this time. 2/3