The Royal Air Force Museum’s Post

📚 Book Recommendation: "Weapons in Space." One of the most divisive military space programs, the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), has sparked extensive debate. Advocates saw SDI as a pivotal defense strategy to safeguard America from nuclear threats and potentially eliminate the need for nuclear weapons, as envisioned by President Ronald Reagan. On the other hand, critics dismissed SDI as "Star Wars," criticizing it for being wasteful, ineffective, and potentially destabilizing. 💡Interested in delving deeper into the history and inner workings of SDI? Check out the fantastic book "Weapons in Space" by George Washington University's Space Policy Institute professor Aaron Bateman, PhD You can access a free ebook version of "Weapons in Space" on MIT Press's website: https://lnkd.in/gmuQTwn6. #SDI #StrategicDefenseInitiative #WeaponsInSpace #SpacePolicy #MilitaryTechnology #MITPress #DefenseStrategies

Do yourself and me a favor. Listen to this podcast from the venerable journalist, Jane Perlez, about China, the US, Taiwan and more. It features one of the most knowledgeable scholars and military strategists on China, Lyle Goldstein. Pay attention to what 20-year Navy veteran says about intimations that the US could be the first party to use nuclear weapons in a Taiwan conflict. https://lnkd.in/g63VqTx4

https://lnkd.in/gKBGUVxa OCEAN 2024 and the Chinese alleged invention of the Laser propulsion system for their future Type 095 SSN nuclear Submarine and the Type 096 SSBN, which seems farfetched and science fiction, with the claim that the Chinese Nuclear Submarines will be able to travel faster than many aircrafts underwater. That is to say, that in the very near future, the Chinese Nuclear submarines will travel faster than the speed of sound, or 1,235 km/h or 767 mph or 667 kn under the ocean depths. Faster than the fastest pursuing torpedo rederring the Chinese nuclear submarines UNTOUCHABLE. #TimTufuga, #TimBrianTufuga, #Chinesemilitary, #RussianMilitary, #OCEAN2024, #NationalSecurity, #SinoRussoMilitary, #NATO, #RussianNavy, #ChineseNavy, #PLAN,

🔍 Did you know? The U.S. Army once deployed one of the most unusual and controversial tactical nuclear weapons during the Cold War—the M28/M29 Davy Crockett. 💥 In the early 1960s, soldiers were equipped with this recoilless rifle system, capable of launching the M388 nuclear projectile with a W54 warhead, mounted on jeeps like the Willys M38 or M151 MUTT. While it was a marvel of engineering, its range was dangerously short, with the M28 reaching about 1.25 miles and the M29 up to 2.5 miles. ❗ Despite its innovative design, the Davy Crockett was phased out by the late '60s due to its limited accuracy and the inherent risks of deploying such a weapon so close to the battlefield. It serves as a powerful reminder of the lengths to which nations went during the Cold War to maintain a tactical edge. 📰 Read more about the Davy Crockett and its role in Cold War history: (https://lnkd.in/gfqv7-UU) #MilitaryHistory #ColdWar #USArmy #NuclearWeapons #EngineeringInnovation

SAVE the Planet ! Save the World !! Save the Human beings!!! The international community must coalesce and vociferously oppose the trajectory of nuclear escalation. The imperative to safeguard the planet, preserve global stability, and ensure the well-being of humanity demands urgent action. Spearheaded by the United States, the Western imperialist bloc, comprising NATO members like Britain and France, has orchestrated a perilous series of geopolitical and geo-military manoeuvres spanning the Asia-Pacific, South China Sea, East Asia, Arabian Sea (Middle East), and Eastern European regions. These actions serve the interests of their entrenched war industrial bourgeoisie, perpetuating their military-currency-trade-technological hegemony. Russia, compelled to defend its sovereignty and economic integrity, confronts the encroachments of NATO allies. Tactical military exercises epitomize a hazardous escalation, portending a precipitous plunge into a new epoch of nuclear brinkmanship. A.C.Prabhakar Director of Global South Social Networks (GSSN)

⚓ "A Ruthless Focus on Building More Nuclear Submarines" ⚓ In this trenchant "Proceedings" article for U.S. Naval Institute, William Toti critiques the state of U.S. nuclear submarine construction. Captain Toti, American author, photographer, senior military technology corporate executive, and former naval officer, starkly highlights systemic failures dating back to the post-Cold War era. He argues that the reduction in nuclear submarines during the 1990s, driven by misguided political decisions, led to a decay in the industrial base, workforce, and supplier networks critical to submarine production. ⚓ The inability of Navy leaders—many with no real shipbuilding experience—to address these issues has exacerbated the crisis. Toti compares this to the Pentagon Renovation (PenRen) effort after 9/11, which succeeded through relentless focus and eliminating distractions. He calls for a similar approach in submarine construction, with a return to basics and ruthless prioritisation of nuclear submarine production. ⚓ Indeed, he rejects (occasional) proposals to shift to diesel-electric submarines, arguing they lack the mobility and endurance required for modern missions. He also criticises the Navy’s focus on emerging technologies like uncrewed vessels, which divert resources from the urgent task of building nuclear submarines. ⚓ Lastly, Toti stresses the need for experienced leaders in senior positions to drive the necessary reforms. He concludes that only through a unified, no-compromise effort can the U.S. submarine force regain its strength and readiness. Full text here, https://lnkd.in/eymJYjee ⚓️Not sure very many of his arguments are brand new but there is a timely passion and force about them in the fast-changing geopolitical circumstances, both globally and in the US itself. ⚓ Moreover, there is almost too much possible read-across to Australia as an aspiring member of the SSN club - and to the UK as a rather older one. ⚓️Picture below shows three Astute-class SSNs in build inside BAE Systems' Devonshire Dock Hall in Barrow, Cumbria. #nuclearsubmarines #AUKUS #maritimepower #USNavy #RoyalNavy #RoyalAustralianNavy #defenceindustrialbase #urgency #focus #geopolitics #MOD #USPresidentialtransition

 Russia and China are edging ever closer to unleashing space-based weapons, a decision that could have far-reaching implications for America’s ability to defend itself, U.S. military and intelligence agencies warn. Adding to the concern, they say, is what appears to be a growing willingness by both countries to set aside long-running suspicions and animosity in order to gain an edge over the United States, as my Voice of America colleague, Jeff Seldin, reports here from Washington. #russia #china #space #spacewarfare #voa https://lnkd.in/e6qvMSuq

Global Security Review has published an excellent piece on the value of military/PME presses as incubators for intellectual development and innovation, yielding concrete advantages: "Military presses play a vital role in the life of the services and the joint community. They are unique tools that allow each service to discuss and debate tactical, operational, and strategic issues internally and share and debate the perspectives of service members with the academic community, other services, allies, and partners, and, as our experience illustrates, America’s adversaries." Give it a read: https://lnkd.in/e2jpB_Yi

"AUKUS is a technology capability pact. When it comes to AUKUS, it’s time for Australia to believe in itself. We are an essential element of the US deterrence strategy. The plan, despite its risk and complexities, is on track, and the Australians who put themselves in harm’s way deserve a capability that increases their chance of surviving." Hear hear! An open and honest article by Jennifer Parker and her take on the significance of AUKUS and Australia's role. #defence #australia #australiandefence #aukus #futuredefence #submarine #nuclearpower #navy #australiannavy #adf #indopacific #protect #deterrence #partners #capability

📢 Pre-order alert: "POLARIS: SUBMARINES, MISSILES, THE US NAVY AND THE ROYAL NAVY" by John Boyes is out in October Read more 👉 https://fml.pub/polaris 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲-𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰-𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗦 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝘆 The atom bombs dropped on Japan at the end of the Second World War opened the door to the nuclear age. Seeing the potential for developing nuclear energy for the US Navy, Captain Hyman Rickover initiated a research programme that culminated in the launch of USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine. Meanwhile, ballistic missile technology was developing fast, but still relied on complex liquid fuels. The US Navy partnered with the army to develop a ballistic missile for both services, but withdrew when solid fuels became a practical proposition. Under the leadership of RADM William Raborn, the US Navy set up its own project: the Polaris weapon system. In 1960, the first missile-armed nuclear-powered submarine (SSBN) left on patrol, with forty more to follow. Two years later, when Britain’s Blue Streak and Skybolt plans were cancelled, Harold Macmillan and John F. Kennedy agreed for Polaris to be supplied to the Royal Navy. #royalnavy #polaris #nuclear #nuclearsubmarine #usnavy #BallisticMissiles #NuclearDeterrence #submarine #submarines #polarisweapon #SSBN #skybolt #MissileDefense #missiles #nuclearpower #britishnavy #missile #books #military #militaryhistory #defence #militaryhistorybooks @followers @highlight