The Off Topic Topic

[Razgovory]

Hey I write like like that...

[Josquius]

An interesting article echoing some thoughts I've been having lately.
More than the tank, the carrier is dead.

https://themilitaryanalyst.com/2025/05/17/the-equalization-of-power/

Great timing for the UK....

A hilario9usly overwrought piece by an anonymous writer. "The carrier is like a unicorn, almost mythological and out of reach."  Who writes like this? 

"The Americans will downplay the whole thing. But I know, because I understand the psychology of the naval military mind, that they know. They see it. They understand that no matter how much they brush off the ideas and implications, it's real. They just do not want to admit its a possibility, they're too invested and nobody wants to stand out by challenging the status quo."  Again, who writes like this?

Guys sitting in their mom's basements write like this.

Yes, lots of hints from his writing in general he's just some nerd and not the well connected expert he claims.

But he's not wrong.

[Grey Fox]

So... Eurovision.
Always a hive of political nonsense but the voting was particularly weird this year.
None of favourites did very well, one which seemed very eurovision indeed (Malta) did downright terrible with the audience vote.

The UK voted Israel on top and they looked like winning until the very end.
 Which considering their behaviour last year (at eurovision I mean. Though the country too obviously) and their choice of contestant seeming extremely cynical a choice (in the sort of way where they're clearly trolling for this to be
pointed out) and musically/performance wise "Meh"...
Really suspicious.

They clearly structured the voting for maximum drama. A near miss from Estonia and leaving it till the very last moment for everyone watching to feel like a winner.

Really surprised Israel won the popular vote since it wasn't a fun party song.

All & all, a bad year.

[grumbler]

Yes, lots of hints from his writing in general he's just some nerd and not the well connected expert he claims.

But he's not wrong.

He's not wrong that the day of the aircraft carrier is fading, but he's wrong that we should just stop using them.  Aircraft carriers will be useful in drone warfare, as drone carriers themselves.  He is also wrong that you can get the same capabilities from more smaller platforms.

[crazy canuck]

Here is a funny video from my hometown. Bears being industrious.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJwmBIpJ3N1/?igsh=dmJvODc2eXhzdTg3

[Tamas]

An interesting article echoing some thoughts I've been having lately.
More than the tank, the carrier is dead.

https://themilitaryanalyst.com/2025/05/17/the-equalization-of-power/

Great timing for the UK....

A hilario9usly overwrought piece by an anonymous writer. "The carrier is like a unicorn, almost mythological and out of reach."  Who writes like this? 

"The Americans will downplay the whole thing. But I know, because I understand the psychology of the naval military mind, that they know. They see it. They understand that no matter how much they brush off the ideas and implications, it's real. They just do not want to admit its a possibility, they're too invested and nobody wants to stand out by challenging the status quo."  Again, who writes like this?

Guys sitting in their mom's basements write like this.

Yes, lots of hints from his writing in general he's just some nerd and not the well connected expert he claims.

But he's not wrong.

Reads like a Chinese nerd wanting to sound sophisticated in English.

[Josquius]

I don't get Chinese vibes.
I believe they're British as they always claim. Though some of what they say gets cringey and damages their credibility they do usually seem to know their stuff, as said I see them as a online nerd who knows their stuff rather than an actual professional.
The only problem I get with them is they are occasionally a tad too over optimistic.

Yes, lots of hints from his writing in general he's just some nerd and not the well connected expert he claims.

But he's not wrong.

He's not wrong that the day of the aircraft carrier is fading, but he's wrong that we should just stop using them.  Aircraft carriers will be useful in drone warfare, as drone carriers themselves.  He is also wrong that you can get the same capabilities from more smaller platforms.

Maybe I missed something but I don't think it says to stop using carriers.
Much like battleships continued to be used after their age of dominance was over, the carriers already exist so might as well use them. Though building more in the future would be a mistake.
A super carrier for drones seems like massive overkill. A much smaller, cheaper, ship could do the job just as well- more ships will also be more survivable.

[grumbler]

Maybe I missed something but I don't think it says to stop using carriers.
Much like battleships continued to be used after their age of dominance was over, the carriers already exist so might as well use them. Though building more in the future would be a mistake.
A super carrier for drones seems like massive overkill. A much smaller, cheaper, ship could do the job just as well- more ships will also be more survivable.

He's saying that, in a war, carriers won't last a week. He's saying that right now, carriers are seen (by everyone exce4pt clever chaps like him) a unicorn, out of reach but that's absurd.  Numerous attacks on US CVs have been made by the Koreans and Vietnamese in real war, and the Soviets and Chinese in simulations. Carriers are built to withstand a lot of damage precisely because the authorities involved understand that they can be hit. Smaller, cheaper ships aren't survivable.

There are weaknesses to the "eggs-in-one-basket" approach, but that approach isn't taken because people are stupid.

[Syt]

First Edition Shadowrun was not kind to my old home turf.

[Josquius]

Poor Low Germans.
Shadowrun creates native American nations out of nowhere but they remain forgotten.

Maybe I missed something but I don't think it says to stop using carriers.
Much like battleships continued to be used after their age of dominance was over, the carriers already exist so might as well use them. Though building more in the future would be a mistake.
A super carrier for drones seems like massive overkill. A much smaller, cheaper, ship could do the job just as well- more ships will also be more survivable.

He's saying that, in a war, carriers won't last a week. He's saying that right now, carriers are seen (by everyone exce4pt clever chaps like him) a unicorn, out of reach but that's absurd.  Numerous attacks on US CVs have been made by the Koreans and Vietnamese in real war, and the Soviets and Chinese in simulations. Carriers are built to withstand a lot of damage precisely because the authorities involved understand that they can be hit. Smaller, cheaper ships aren't survivable.

There are weaknesses to the "eggs-in-one-basket" approach, but that approach isn't taken because people are stupid.

They're taken because it lets them operate a higher sortie rate with conventional aircraft.
Given drones can increasingly do many of the jobs these planes would have done there are very valid questions whether carriers are worth it.
A full nuclear carrier is of course better than a small drone launcher ship. But better than a dozen of them (or wharever adds up to the same cost)?
Better value for money than a few?

Tanks on land are similar. They exist so they have a use. But if you're planning for the future are they worth it? - the Dutch apparently just decided to buy some so clearly some think so, though I don't get it.
It helps I suppose that they're buying second hand machines.

[Savonarola]

Where does the time go?  I see from some of my colleagues e-mail that the long, dark Canadian winter has ended and the wet, hot Canadian summer has begun.

Happy Victoria Day, Canadians / Bonne Fête de la Reine, Habitants

I hope your day is extra Victorian, filled with plenty of tea, crumpets and imperialism.

 

I got a chance to see the fireworks in Oshawa last year.  That was neat.

Were you down at the lake last year? O was there

No, I was in downtown Oshawa.  I had just arrived that day and didn't realize Victoria Day was a firework holiday.

[Duque de Bragança]

First Edition Shadowrun was not kind to my old home turf.

Damn, no Wacken festival I guess.

[grumbler]

They're taken because it lets them operate a higher sortie rate with conventional aircraft.
Given drones can increasingly do many of the jobs these planes would have done there are very valid questions whether carriers are worth it.
A full nuclear carrier is of course better than a small drone launcher ship. But better than a dozen of them (or wharever adds up to the same cost)?
Better value for money than a few?

The sorts of drone useful in naval warfare ARE conventional aircraft.  They are just unmanned.  If you have a dozen small drone launcher ships with drones that go 100 miles and I have a carrier with drone that go 300 miles, I will wipe the floor with you.

I don't think any more carriers should be built, but the idea that drones will wipe out Britain's carriers in two weeks is fantasy.

[Tonitrus]

Poor Low Germans.
Shadowrun creates native American nations out of nowhere but they remain forgotten.

I remember in the early proto-internet days, I was actually on a forum with the author of the NAN sourcebooks...I had questioned then NAN's purported population numbers as being very unrealistic (based off the number of non-natives that would need to be kicked out, even accounting for VITAS deatghs)/requiring a supernatural baby boom.  He was not amused by the logic of my arguments. 

[HVC]

They're taken because it lets them operate a higher sortie rate with conventional aircraft.
Given drones can increasingly do many of the jobs these planes would have done there are very valid questions whether carriers are worth it.
A full nuclear carrier is of course better than a small drone launcher ship. But better than a dozen of them (or wharever adds up to the same cost)?
Better value for money than a few?

The sorts of drone useful in naval warfare ARE conventional aircraft.  They are just unmanned.  If you have a dozen small drone launcher ships with drones that go 100 miles and I have a carrier with drone that go 300 miles, I will wipe the floor with you.

I don't think any more carriers should be built, but the idea that drones will wipe out Britain's carriers in two weeks is fantasy.

Just make sure your drone ships are with 100 miles of the enemy carriers before you declare war. Easy peasy