Very Obama-esque.

USA maxxing into the 4th.

The Defense Science Board of the 1950s weeps in humiliation.

So are we at war again?

Here's the leftist, anti-imperialist position on Taiwan that it seems so hard for the left to figure out: "The People's Republic of China does not have a legitimate claim to the Qing Empire's former colonies." Period. Done.

he had hadn't been properly rehabilitated until we recognize Frank Jack Fletcher as the most successful carrier commander in history and give him a posthumous letter of commendation, and maybe a cool monument to his men and ships.

THE WORLD WONDERS

This videos are legitimately incredible. These OAWs are just propeller airplanes but smaller… why is Russian air defense struggling to hit them? ( @mikeblack114.bsky.social ?)

“Hey GP, why do you hold Zelensky in such high regard?” Because he is just a man, doing his best to do the impossible, and being as good a person he can under those impossible circumstances. And doing a damn fine job of it.

Was surprised to see Bryan come out in full support of the more low end mix of capabilities.

Is this article right? What were pre-war assessments of our ability to destroy missile storage facilities? t.co/QKUVeLEVkz

Amazing, we are speed running Vietnam!

@mikeblack114.bsky.social how do you assess the overall air campaign over Iran? How well did we do at SEAD and attaining air superiority in a non class way? Was the campaign planned well (esp relative to rough rider)? Right sequencing and target set? Etc.

When I see some of these strikes, I have to wonder why they were not on the initial set of target packages.

What is she talking about? www.wsj.com/opinion/what...

US democracy had a nice run

I see the end of the war is going well!

TIL the retired lead structural engineer for the SR-71 is on tik tok.

I will wait to see what happens with the Straight. If it’s actually open with no tolls or any other governing body, then we have returned to status quo ante which I think was the best possible outcome.

With new announcements like this:https://www.twz.com/sea/10000-low-cost-cruise-missiles-in-three-years-procurement-plan-laid-out-by-pentagon and the prior ERAM program, I have a question, how should I think about how these newer munitions differ from traditional ones?

@giledpallaeon.bsky.social it looks like the admin’s escort process is not going to involve close escorts. A while back you mentioned that you might not need a close escort. Thoughts on the admins actions?

Stupidity of the whole situation aside, the blockade is working. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/06/w...

I am confused. Why would efforts to help transit the straight be opposed by regional partners ?

@bafriedman.bsky.social how do you feel the blockade is going? Seems like it’s been leaky, but is still doing its job, putting pressure on Irans economy.

@whatismoo.bsky.social someone on the other website mentioned you might have an answer to a question about Soviet doctrine in the 1970s/80s - any chance I could DM you?

Random question. For the development of the ICBM, famously the USAF did not award contacts to "prime contractors". They acted as the prime contractor themselves through the WDD. They were responding to their perception of poor performance of prior missile programs with prime contractors.

A lot of problems would need to be sorted out for this to work, but I agree with the idea of beginning preparations for civilian firms to manufacture defense items. It will be needed, and it is exactly what we did prior to WWII.

@giledpallaeon.bsky.social - what are the laws surrounding SSN production? Would it be possible (assuming someone had the $), to finance a new entrant to compete with Electric Boat / Newport News?

TIL that the Seawolf class sub passive noise emission was practically indistinguishable from background noise, a fact I find mind boggling.

BTW, we just doubled pancreatic cancer survival. www.statnews.com/2026/04/13/r...

Are we sure the admin doesn’t read @bafriedman.bsky.social’s socials?

And now I know why the Harpoon had such a short range.

Unfortunately, the U.S. has two bad choices now: 1. Accept a humiliating strategic defeat with nearly no modern precedent for a major power, but lick its wounds, save its munitions, and prepare for the more important fight with the PLA

So much for that

Alright time for my weekly Naval questions. Wayne Hughes in "Fleet Tactics", "If submarines were able to protect sea lanes from attack, including air attack, then they would be serious candidates to succeed the aircraft carrier as the capital ship of the missile era....

Air Force Rescue’s motto: “These things we do, that others may live.” CSAR is mission beyond reproach.

@giledpallaeon.bsky.social A question for you. In the late 1970s, when we were building Tomahawk, there was an anti-ship version, which used the Harpoon seeker in the Tomahawk airframe (source: secwww.jhuapl.edu/techdigest/C...) But it never really ever got used, and all post-1980 U.S. ship kills

AAAAAAAHHHHH

Two observations about U.S. industrial policy efforts. 1. CHIPS PO, the most successful modern U.S. effort to do IP, was very different than successful Korean, Japanese, Chinese IP efforts in that it was not focused on indigenization. Indigenization and self-sufficiency....

In the lead up to WWII, the Ordnance Department of the US Army had detailed surveys of manufacturing facilities that helped them figure out which ones would be suitable for different war production needs.

Is there a good resource for how we did air base defense (shelters, dispersion, etc.) in the 1980s in preparation for Soviet conflict? @mikeblack114.bsky.social?

While the Chinese EV makers are excellent, we need to be realistic, the insanely low price tags are being driven by a combination of low real wages, currency devaluation and overall deflation in China (which is bad!!). If you picked up Chery and let them build here, they would not be $8500.

Cannot wait for this. First edition, 1986.

@bafriedman.bsky.social 🤣

Have RLG IMUs gotten good enough to avoid the need for GPS fixes? GPS very easily jammable, even with better codes.

The resolution improvement of SAR resolution is WILD.

I mean, we have to open the straight. Shouldn’t have gone to war, but letting Iran control the Straight would be a staggering strategic loss. Take your time, do a blockade first. Bring the right assets to the theatre to do convoy escort.

Seems overly pessimistic. We can and should control the straight if we commit the forces to do so. We shouldn’t have even done this war but now we must reassert freedom of navigation.

Live look of INDOPACOM