My latest for Defence Connect on the whole Signal debacle, which makes me mad in ways I actually struggled to articulate.
(I am also unreasonably proud of that terrible photoshop)
Speaking as I find. Fortunate man had the benefit of studying at the #LSE , that school for dissidents and left wing thought before she sold out to the Yankee $ and the Chinese 
. So, applying some critical thinking, when 'our' politicians are tub thumping about affairs elsewhere #Ukraine #Russia you can be sure they are trying to distract you from crisis's and catastrophe on the home front. #UKPol #SpringStatement #Defence #Europe #Government
Why a nation needs good engineers? Denying it for one's convenience and profit will only result in disintegration & possible annihilation.
4 US soldiers missing from training area in Lithuania
Four U.S. soldiers are missing in Lithuania and were participating in tactical training "at the time of the incident," the Army said.
#defense #miltodon #defence #defense_news
https://www.defensenews.com/news/your-military/2025/03/26/4-us-soldiers-missing-from-training-area-in-lithuania/
A key cog in the AUKUS defense industrial base is taking shape in Australia
#hegseth #trump #defence #donaldtrump #america #unitedstates #military #security #securityscandal
I’m no longer on it, but just wondered if anyone’s checked Facebook for any American military plans.
Just saying.
US allies alarmed by leaked group chat about Houthi attack plans
For some U.S. allies, the leaked group chat about a planned Yemen attack casts doubt on intelligence-sharing with Washington.
#defense #miltodon #defence #defense_news
https://www.defensenews.com/news/pentagon-congress/2025/03/25/us-allies-alarmed-by-leaked-group-chat-about-houthi-attack-plans/
”People in Finland think other issues are also important, including supporting the economy and creating new jobs (40%), action on climate change (33%) and democracy and the rule of law (32%).”
#trump #DonaldTrump #USA #America #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesofAmerica #security #Nationalsecurity #Yemen #houthi #HouthiRebels #whatsapp #chat #journalist #groupchat #hegseth #defence #defense #jdvance #vance
Anyone stupid enough to use a messaging app to discuss defence secrets should be sacked immediately. Taking into account his level of incompetence, calling Hegseth “pathetic” would be a compliment. America would be better off if the Marx Brothers were in charge…
Rearmament is an opportunity for capital to obtain reductions in welfare and public services, at the cost of lower profitability.
Chatham House: “Politicians will have to brace themselves to reclaim money through cuts to sickness benefits, pensions and healthcare.”
Britain’s finance minister Rachel Reeves, who has been steadily cutting spending on child credits, winter payments for the aged and disability benefits, announced that the remit of the Labour government’s new National Wealth Fund would be changed to let it invest in defence.
More military spending spurs growth but can damage the ‘health’ of the capitalist accumulation process: https://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2025/03/22/from-welfare-to-warfare-military-keynesianism/
We need to keep the pressure high so our next gov't doesn't cave! #CancelTheF35
Will Canada Cancel Its Order for American F-35 Fighter Jets? (VIDEO) https://youtu.be/la0tKqpcCTk?si=0X0NO_2QVDWJwAhK #cdnpoli #polcan #Canada #RCAF #defence #defense #military #aviation
@Ex_spurt
Yes, I’m with you here.
There was no way I was going to get into the subject to any depth via toots, right? I mean, even the Conversation authors baulked at that. If I had time (meaning putting aside all of the things I want to do on a day to day basis) I’d write a book on the subject and even that wouldn’t be enough. There are so many rabbit holes to explore here.
But what can be discussed publicly are things like:
- should we be more self-reliant in #Defence #logistics
- should we build our own #arms (squad weapons and up)?
- should we rely on powerful #allies to keep Australia safe from invasion?
- should we pour money in #dual-use manufacturing?
- should we incentivise #MilitaryService ?
- should all manufactures specifically related to defence equipment be publicly owned?
- should we have a #ForwardDefence strategy or a more limited projection?
- should we build and launch sovereign #satellites on sovereign #launchers and should these be produced domestically?
- should we develop a continental #AirDefence system?
- should we keep all #Australian personnel on Australian soil (or platform)?
- should we change our #Constitution to make our #ADF “defence’ only?
- what form/characteristics should our national #deterence take?
And jezzz, there are so many other questions that can be discussed in the public forum without giving up any ‘classified’ information (such as capability, capacity, mission, etc).
This #Conversation article is a good ‘opener’ into a Defence/ADF debate that must be had, not just by experts and polies, but by all Australian given it goes to the issue of our collective physical security ( https://theconversation.com/should-australia-increase-its-defence-spending-we-asked-5-experts-252374 ). There is no denying the naiveté in thinking we can ever live our lives peacefully, isolated from the troubles around us. Thinking that we can count on enduring alliances for help when we are threatened is also delusional given history is replete with contradictory tales. So #Defence concerns all of us and is an integral part of politics (I.e. Foreign affairs by other means).
I like the opinion of Jennifer Parker and Peter Layton best of the bunch of opinions expressed by the ‘experts’ because they go to the ‘core’ of what Defence means in practice at the ground level. The process is very simple (the helo view). It is for govt to strategise what must be done to keep Australia as safe as possible and develop any number of Defence policy goals for study by Defence experts. Those Defence experts than come back with Force Plans for each policy goals. After that, it’s up to govt to expand its range of policies to accommodate the defence plans and find the money to fund the most pressing goal achieving preparedness (the more goals can be addressed the more secure Australia will be).
In all cases, ‘preparedness’ is the foundation stone of any defence planning and subsequent actions.
/Arm-Chair General signing off…
https://www.europesays.com/1934671/ Nato’s problems go deeper than US withdrawal #CharlesDeGaulle #defence #DonaldTrump #europe #EuropeanUnion #MarkRutte #nato #NonClassifiu00e9(e) #optional #Ukraine #war
Italy’s Starlink talks are at ‘standstill’ amid Musk outrage.
Discussions between Italy's far-right government and Elon Musk's Space X over a secure communications system for defence and diplomatic purposes have been suspended, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said.
Italian opposition parties fiercely criticised a potential secure communications deal between Starlink and Prime Minister Meloni’s hard-right government.
The UK is to host further military planning sessions on Ukraine.
Europe must “step up” to meet the challenge of a “different chapter of history,” Keir Starmer told allies — as he announced three more days of military planning in London to be held next week.
Representatives from what the UK prime minister has badged a “coalition of the willing” will meet again at Northwood HQ.
“What the moment calls for is great boldness. It means Keir Starmer having the courage to tell the country that everything has changed and that we will have to change, too. Yes, that will involve painful sacrifices to pay for rearmament, and the breaking of political taboos, including listening to the majority of Britons who tell pollsters it’s time we rejoined the EU.”
Germany clears €3 billion military aid for Ukraine.
Germany's budget committee approved yesterday another €3 billion in military aid for Ukraine after chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz pushed through reforms to ramp up investment in defence.
The Finance Ministry also plans to authorise commitments of €8.2 billion for the years 2026 to 2029, bringing the total to more than €11 billion.
@HardBeingGreen
Agreed. While I may not agree with every details (those we know about) of the Greens defence policy, it is measurably better than simply opposing militarism and providing no policies to look after us in what is basically a dog eat dog world out there.
Germany's upper house clears historic defence spending bill.
Germany's upper house has voted in favour of a landmark bill that plans to unlock hundreds of billions of euros for defence and infrastructure projects.
The package, which will allow for a large increase in military expenditure, passed through the Bundesrat despite objections from several smaller parties.
