Mandel Brotset posted:

lol this brought back memories of me just casually playing war with children’s toys

gradenko_2000 posted:

https://twitter.com/DocStrangelove2/status/1766163221092913200?t=g0ucpiegVpWGG2fNWxnm-A&s=19

Grilled Beef posted:

You are 25 years behind

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_Air_and_Space_Global_Laser_Engagement

Got a lot of money in the Bush years. course every crackpot idea did. But ground based laser, you shoot it at a blimp that is hanging a mirror off it, and the laser reflects off the mirror to the target

popular Science/Mechanics loved printing every ad copy of a new weapon system back there as the next big thing that would kill all the terrorists

The Oldest Man posted:

my favorite part of gi joe is how the way they depicted war to make it appropriate for 5 year olds was to remove all the scary parts of it so its a completely whitewashed laser battle in which everybody safely bails out of their tank before it blows up and nobody ever gets injured, stripping industrial violence of its ramifications and teaching an entire generation of kids that forever war is good actually

The Oldest Man posted:

my favorite part of gi joe is how the way they depicted war to make it appropriate for 5 year olds was to remove all the scary parts of it so its a completely whitewashed laser battle in which everybody safely bails out of their tank before it blows up and nobody ever gets injured, stripping industrial violence of its ramifications and teaching an entire generation of kids that forever war is good actually

gradenko_2000 posted:

https://twitter.com/DocStrangelove2/status/1766163221092913200?t=g0ucpiegVpWGG2fNWxnm-A&s=19

yellowcar posted:

better hope you don't land in a body of water because you'll sink like a rock lol

GlassEye-Boy posted:

Oh they're crossing that bridge.

https://youtu.be/U8NVb1ZHo68?si=8GNa22qKvR-yyKbq

DJJIB-DJDCT posted:

Someone explained this better in either this thread or the Ukraine thread, but the idea that money is power has vaporized people's brains when they try to apply that logic to the military.

They really do believe that GDP is the same as national strength, because you can just buy military power. You give a trillion dollars to LockMart and then... you win. How much they make of anything, how long it takes to deliver, if it's even good, like basically doesn't enter into it. It's spreadsheet thinking, but, idk my brain can't tap into it.

I think the people who came up with the RMA in the 70's-80's were kind of bullshitting because they saw the military balance with Warsaw Pact. Reagan and Thatcher required, on an ideological level, that NATO was militarily superior, so these guys promised the moon to them, that somehow, qualitative superiority - which really only meant more expensive - would guarantee that NATO would have an advantage if only the projected equipment for the 80's, 90's, The Year Two Thousand was funded.

Then 1991 really pushed this into overdrive, and everybody believed the hype, even though the armies that defeated the Iraqis were actually not fielding the new equipment of the RMA in most cases - the Marines went to Iraq with M60s, only 7% of munitions used were smart, etc.

But now, it doesn't matter how many times this has proven to be a worse military system than the 1970's in, arguably, most ways other than communications and certain types of sensors, people take the RMA stuff as gospel, instead of failure after failure for 20 years.

Here's where I hit kind of my intellectual and theoretical ceiling, but probably one of you is better equipped to handle it:

I don't think the so-called Revolution in Military Affairs is unrelated to either neoconservatism or neoliberalism, the timing is too similar to be coincidental, and all three refer to the others, but I can't really prove it because I don't know why that would be. Obviously the belief in technological dominance is a bit part of the sales pitch for neoconservatism, Max Boot's insane book War Made New is worth reading to know how these people think. I think the relationship to neoliberalism must have something to do with the idea that producing things isn't just unnecessary, it's almost dirty.

Idk. People who believe in all 3 things run the world though, so maybe someone should look into that.

quote:

In pursuing this type of cooperation, it has become increasingly clear that
there is no single model for restructuring of defence industries. Although there
are common problems and challenges, it is in the interest of each country to
pursue its own specific policies, taking into account its political, social and eco-
nomic environment. In order to better understand this dualism and to draw
appropriate joint lessons, special emphasis is placed on the analysis of practi-
cal experiences of defence restructuring. This part of the work includes indi-
vidual case studies and draws on the experiences of a broad range of relevant
agencies, national administrations, the management side of private and public
companies, and local and regional authorities. It also allows the sectorial and
regional dimensions of defence restructuring to be taken into account.

Cooperation in this area will continue to be centred on practical aspects of
the restructuring and adaptation of the defence industry sector, taking into
account regional differences. In general terms, developments in the demand side
of the defence market, as well as the response of the supply side through indus-
trial restructuring, and the economic consequences of the latter, need to be care-
fully monitored. Moreover, defence industries are losing their singularity and are
being increasingly obliged to bow to market forces. It is therefore also crucial to
analyse effects on the economy of the privatisation of defence companies.

Security aspects of economic developments are discussed at an annual
NATO Economics Colloquium and other seminars and workshops. The
Economics Colloquium is attended by experts from business, universities and
national and international administrations, and provides a framework for an
intensive exchange of ideas and experiences in the economic sphere. Themes
addressed at recent Economic Colloquia have included the social and human
dimensions of economic developments and reforms in Cooperation Partner
countries; the status of such reforms, their implications for security and the
opportunities and constraints associated with them; and privatisation in
Cooperation Partner countries

Owlbear Camus posted:

I love that they picked a use case where everything would be more tactically sound, just using a light vehicle or even some loving dirt bikes. Like at least put the target building in an island or up a sheer rock face to show off a unique capability.

I also like how once on target the objective was to lob one (1) device through an exterior door, call it mission accomplished, and leave. Because actually trying to CQB into the building would foul your idiot fucker rocketeer pack onto every doorway and piece of furniture like a fat turtle.

Cpt_Obvious posted:

IDK, I think the funniest part is that while active the jetpacks make you:

1. easy to spot.

2. Easy to hear

3. Completely defenseless.

You have to manually guide it with your hands so if anybody actually spots you while you're flying you have to land before you can draw a weapon and defend yourself.

Trabisnikof posted:

there's a bad guy in a house in the woods, do you:

1. walk quietly on foot until you're at the house or

2. use an angry lawnmower to hide in the trees

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWuW4VqEflY

GlassEye-Boy posted:

It can be on an island because the rocket packs have something like a 5 minutes flight time.

DJJIB-DJDCT posted:

I just learned that new NATO superstar Sweden has been trying to develop an Uzi since 2008 without success



Obviously the HK MP7 has completely eaten their lunch and I'd be surprised if it ever gets made now, but... what the gently caress lmao?

tatankatonk posted:

tatankatonk posted:

tatankatonk posted:

tatankatonk posted:

Best Friends posted:

14.5 inch barrel length for infantry weapons is average? this is very disturbing

Malleum posted:

great news: it also fits under the barrel of your antitank weapon




what the gently caress is this thing lmao

Malleum posted:

great news: it also fits under the barrel of your antitank weapon




what the gently caress is this thing lmao

tatankatonk posted:

Malleum posted:

great news: it also fits under the barrel of your antitank weapon




what the gently caress is this thing lmao

Malleum posted:

great news: it also fits under the barrel of your antitank weapon




what the gently caress is this thing lmao