Recent posts

#21

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by Syt - Today at 10:26:50 AM

Well yeah.

#22

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by Duque de Bragança - Today at 10:06:12 AM

Some of the established Fallout lore hits a bit different these days (minor spoiler for Fallout TV show).

Since the first Fallout video game actually. 

#23

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Duque de Bragança - Today at 10:02:52 AM

Do you have a non-Twitter version?

I could not find one but there is the Figaro article, which links to X, but it should display without having to go there. Please tell me if it works:

https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/raciste-soutien-de-l-extreme-droite-trumpiste-lfi-vent-debout-contre-un-dessin-de-charlie-hebdo-caricaturant-melenchon-en-maduro-20260106

#24

Off the Record / Re: The China Thread

Last post by Baron von Schtinkenbutt - Today at 10:01:51 AM

I found two SCMP articles with pictures of the ship.  One has a close-up of the TELs extended, the other has a wide shot with the TELs retracted, but shows the other sensor packages on the ship, as well as the drone equipment on the dock.  I can't find a credible source for the picture I saw (which came from Twitter) that purportedly show the system actually mounted on the ship.

#25

Off the Record / Re: The China Thread

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 09:49:08 AM

From the Asia Times

Photos emerging since late December show a Chinese medium cargo vessel, Zhongda 79, reconfigured to carry a modular, truck-mounted electromagnetic catapult system capable of launching large fixed-wing combat drones, with the activity centered at Shanghai's Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard. The system consists of multiple heavy trucks locked together to form a scalable launch track, potentially allowing drones weighing up to two tons to be launched without a traditional runway, either from land or from flat-decked merchant ships.

The concept, if operational, could enable the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to disperse airpower across China's vast commercial fleet, complicating adversaries' targeting and expanding drone reach in scenarios ranging from the Taiwan Strait to the Pacific island chains.

The same vessel had earlier been seen carrying containerized missile launchers, radars and close-in weapon systems (CIWS), suggesting a broader experiment with modular, container-based naval warfare.

https://asiatimes.com/2026/01/chinas-drone-carriers-hide-in-plain-sight-among-merchant-ships/

#26

Off the Record / Re: The China Thread

Last post by Baron von Schtinkenbutt - Today at 09:29:13 AM

I need to track down an actual source, but I have seen pictures of at least one container ship in a Chinese port with various modules on-board.  The two I remember are EMALs for launching drones (didn't see anything for recovery, though, so presumably these are drone-shaped cruise missiles), as well as container TELs for some sort of missile.  I have no context for the pictures, though.

#27

Off the Record / Re: Trump's Venezuela Vendetta

Last post by Tamas - Today at 09:27:22 AM

In any case, I am just glad that a Russian flag is not a get out of jail for free card with this administration, otherwise sanctions against either Venezuela or Russia would have been rendered toothless.

#28

Off the Record / Re: Trump's Venezuela Vendetta

Last post by The Minsky Moment - Today at 09:21:11 AM

It's like we never learn.  Remember once upon a time when America invaded and Iraq and said the oil would pay for the cost many times over?   And it took nearly a decade for Iraqi oil production to reach pre-conflict levels?

It will take YEARS to fix up the problems with the Venezuelan oil industry. It will take enormous amounts of investment and years for that investment to yield results.  Will that investment happen? Here are some obstacles:

1) Uncertain political and legal environment.  These investments have payoff periods measured in decades.
2) Weak demand/supply conditions in present market environment. E.g. last year demand increased 900K barrels per day but supply by 4 million.
3) Venezuelan oil tends to be poor quality heavy grades that is more costly to refine.  Yes it is true that many of the Gulf Coast refineries are currently set up to process these grades.  But US refineries are already running close to full capacity, so the refineries would have to be expanded as well.  In loose supply conditions when price is falling (as now) that product is the first to become uneconomic.
4) The background trend worldwide is a shift to renewables, which have a more favorable output/cost ratio already which continues to improve.  Although the Stupid Squad around Trump pretends not to know this, the oil majors definitely do.  They will be wary that billions thrown on developing dirty and expensive to process reserves could end up as uneconomic stranded assets.

#29

Off the Record / Re: Trump's Venezuela Vendetta

Last post by Crazy_Ivan80 - Today at 08:38:14 AM

Not even sure which one of the crisis threads to put this in but apparently the Russian said oil tanker which earlier fled boarding near Venezuela by sporting a Russian flag and had been expecting Russian Navy escorts back to Murmansk, is being boarded by US forces

Probably trying to preempt issues with the sub the orcs may or may not have sent out escort the ship.
Who knows anymore in this ever dumber than dumbest timelines

#30

Off the Record / Re: Trump's Venezuela Vendetta

Last post by Tamas - Today at 08:26:56 AM

Not even sure which one of the crisis threads to put this in but apparently the Russian said oil tanker which earlier fled boarding near Venezuela by sporting a Russian flag and had been expecting Russian Navy escorts back to Murmansk, is being boarded by US forces