April topics (for non-Ukraine related weeks)
Added 2023-04-04 14:13:26 +0000 UTCHi all,
With Finland joining NATO this week I am planning on pushing ahead with alliances, security theory topic this week (with a focus on making it the inverse of the small countries video - why larger nations are willing to defend smaller ones)
Next week after that is likely to be hybrid and grey zone warfare unless it completely tanks in the vote here.
Beyond that, there are a few topics in the pipe at the moment - and as always, I'm looking for a steer. Multi-vote is enabled as always - I will take votes into consideration but ultimately topics are ready when they are ready. These will be used on weeks where I do not think the topic needs to focus on Ukraine and the developments there.
I also have a more personal update to give with an associated note of thanks to all of you- but that may need another week or so before I can set it out here.
Comments
Both sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict seem to be unable to use their air forces to do the traditional thing that air forces do -- blow up supply lines well behind the front line. They are holding back their planes due to a combination of long-range and short range ground based air defenses. And neither side appears to have accurate long-range missiles that can usefully interdict supply lines either. The usual argument is that neither side (notably Russia) has invested in SEAD/DEAD weapons or training, nor in stealth to a useful degree, and that the US has. So in a conflict with, say, China, the US would be able to penetrate energy airspace and destroy enemy logistics using B-2s, F-35s, JASSMs, and eventually B-21s. All of this good news hinges on the F-35's ability to suppress enemy air defense sufficiently for strike packages to get through. Can it? Is it even possible to suppress an enemy air defense that uses missiles so small they don't require a dedicated launch vehicle? (i.e. MANPADS) What keeps stealth aircraft safe when on the ground? And finally, Taiwan doesn't have the F-35, nor the B-2, nor the JASSM. How exactly are they meant to defend themselves in a conflict with China? It seems any US stealth assets used in such a conflict would be flying 700 to 1100 km before they even got to the Taiwan Strait, which means their refuelling tankers would need to be stealthy as well.
Iain McClatchie
2023-05-03 20:30:28 +0000 UTCThe Australian Defence Strategic Review as a topic, how that changes Australia's foreign policy compared to previous threats, e.g. Japan WWII and Germany in WWI
Nicholas Eberl
2023-04-26 07:07:48 +0000 UTC
