CaptainVTOL
@captainvtol.bsky.social
Couldn't agree more.
"It's not that people are afraid of the technology — they just don't understand how the technology can work for them," said the Marine Corps' Colin Crosby. via @billy-mitchell.bsky.social defensescoop.com/2025/04/29/l...
Lack of understanding holding back military AI adoption, leaders say
The U.S. military services face no shortage of challenges in adopting artificial intelligence to drive better mission outcomes — and one of the biggest things holding them back is that their personnel...
defensescoop.com
April 29, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Couldn't agree more.
Vibes when booting up DCS for the first time in a very long time.
Booting... launching... Good day, y'all! 👋
a hand is reaching for a button on a machine that says hi
ALT: a hand is reaching for a button on a machine that says hi
media.tenor.com
March 23, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Vibes when booting up DCS for the first time in a very long time.
The level of corruption never ceases to amaze.
The White House, through an outside event production company, is soliciting corporate sponsors for this year’s annual Easter Egg Roll, prompting major concerns from ethics experts and shock from former White House officials from both parties: cnn.it/41OSwVD
‘This is not your grandmother’s Easter Egg Roll’: White House seeks corporate sponsorships for Easter event | CNN Politics
The White House, through an outside event production company called Harbinger, is soliciting corporate sponsors for this year’s annual Easter Egg Roll, which is prompting major concerns from ethics ex...
cnn.it
March 23, 2025 at 3:48 PM
The level of corruption never ceases to amaze.
Been slowly working through this book and I've gotta say, it's changed my perspective on the events that led up to D-Day. What those men and women went through in the years-long lead-up to the invasion is incredible and makes me wonder about the parallels to today.
February 23, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Been slowly working through this book and I've gotta say, it's changed my perspective on the events that led up to D-Day. What those men and women went through in the years-long lead-up to the invasion is incredible and makes me wonder about the parallels to today.
"I thought he'd something other than exactly what he said he'd do"
This guy would’ve found a way to rationalize the layoffs as being necessary and good if he hadn’t been personally let go. This kind of person is incapable of having any empathy or understanding until it affects them.
February 23, 2025 at 1:29 PM
"I thought he'd something other than exactly what he said he'd do"
Reposted by CaptainVTOL
RAFFLE 🏆 Like, reskeet, and follow by Feb 25 (midnight EST) and you can win a signed copy of my Littoral Commander #wargame. May the odds be ever in your favor. 😉🎲 #wargaming
February 22, 2025 at 12:49 PM
RAFFLE 🏆 Like, reskeet, and follow by Feb 25 (midnight EST) and you can win a signed copy of my Littoral Commander #wargame. May the odds be ever in your favor. 😉🎲 #wargaming
Great piece by @timothysnyder.bsky.social and an important read for federal public servants during this tumultuous time.
open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...
open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...
The Logic of Destruction
And how to resist it
open.substack.com
February 5, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Great piece by @timothysnyder.bsky.social and an important read for federal public servants during this tumultuous time.
open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...
open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...
Making it a misdemeanor to claim that a technology is a "solution" to a problem without a defined CONOP.
What would your petty niche EO be?
I’d ban the phrases “all instruments of national power” and “whole of government”
I’d ban the phrases “all instruments of national power” and “whole of government”
January 24, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Making it a misdemeanor to claim that a technology is a "solution" to a problem without a defined CONOP.
Reposted by CaptainVTOL
Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume?
Defense analyst: it was due to an all-domain AI enabled COTS based non-kinetic quantum effector FFBNW
Interviewer:
Defense analyst: Delivered at pace.
Defense analyst: it was due to an all-domain AI enabled COTS based non-kinetic quantum effector FFBNW
Interviewer:
Defense analyst: Delivered at pace.
Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume?
Cold War Historian: I was [█████████] because I was [██████ ██ ███████] until [█████ █████████]. After that , I had to [█████████████]. So it wasn't my fault. It was like that when I there.
Cold War Historian: I was [█████████] because I was [██████ ██ ███████] until [█████ █████████]. After that , I had to [█████████████]. So it wasn't my fault. It was like that when I there.
Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume?
Rare book cataloguer: [1] i, from 1-9 (8), took a break at [2] I-III8, IV10, then was Cited In and had to Bound-with 2°: πA⁶(πA1+1, πA5+1.2), A-2B6, 2C2, x4, “gg3.4″(±”gg3″), ¶-2¶6, 3¶1, 2a- 2f6, 2g2, “Gg6“, 2h6, 2k-3b7. But eventually, [n.d.]
Rare book cataloguer: [1] i, from 1-9 (8), took a break at [2] I-III8, IV10, then was Cited In and had to Bound-with 2°: πA⁶(πA1+1, πA5+1.2), A-2B6, 2C2, x4, “gg3.4″(±”gg3″), ¶-2¶6, 3¶1, 2a- 2f6, 2g2, “Gg6“, 2h6, 2k-3b7. But eventually, [n.d.]
December 21, 2024 at 3:07 PM
Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume?
Defense analyst: it was due to an all-domain AI enabled COTS based non-kinetic quantum effector FFBNW
Interviewer:
Defense analyst: Delivered at pace.
Defense analyst: it was due to an all-domain AI enabled COTS based non-kinetic quantum effector FFBNW
Interviewer:
Defense analyst: Delivered at pace.
Excellent points by Dr. Pawling bringing important context to be mindful of when thinking about naval self-defense.
This is a good illustration of the fact that missiles don’t just cease to exist the moment they are hit. In the naval context, this means CIWS engaging means a high likelihood of being hit be fragments at least, or a near miss as the warhead goes off in the sea nearby 1/2
This excellent hit knocks this Russian missile out of the sky.
December 14, 2024 at 5:09 PM
Excellent points by Dr. Pawling bringing important context to be mindful of when thinking about naval self-defense.
Good introductory breakdown of the dynamics at play that led to the stunning change in Syria over the last several days
youtu.be/WPxrifmtlQI?...
youtu.be/WPxrifmtlQI?...
Why Syria's civil war restarted
YouTube video by CaspianReport
youtu.be
December 8, 2024 at 2:25 PM
Good introductory breakdown of the dynamics at play that led to the stunning change in Syria over the last several days
youtu.be/WPxrifmtlQI?...
youtu.be/WPxrifmtlQI?...
Reposted by CaptainVTOL
One of the biggest lessons from Syria is that, just a month ago, almost no one could have predicted the Assad regime would fall today. The "realities on the ground" crowd would have denied such a possibility. A reminder of why people in Ukraine fight rather than surrender.
December 8, 2024 at 3:31 AM
One of the biggest lessons from Syria is that, just a month ago, almost no one could have predicted the Assad regime would fall today. The "realities on the ground" crowd would have denied such a possibility. A reminder of why people in Ukraine fight rather than surrender.
At this point in my life, caffeine is more "part of a balanced breakfast, lunch, and dinner" than a "stimulant drug".
December 6, 2024 at 9:55 AM
At this point in my life, caffeine is more "part of a balanced breakfast, lunch, and dinner" than a "stimulant drug".
Really enjoyed this insightful writeup on being realistic about where AI is going, and it's not the pessimistic view you might expect.
One of the most important debates in tech right now is the group of folks who think AI is fake and sucks vs. the people who think AI is real and dangerous. I wrote about why I'm in the latter camp, and talked about my differences with Gary Marcus www.platformer.news/ai-skeptics-...
December 6, 2024 at 1:46 AM
Really enjoyed this insightful writeup on being realistic about where AI is going, and it's not the pessimistic view you might expect.
Great analysis of a crashed Ukrainian drone, certainly worth a read for anyone interested in asymmetric defense technology.
1. A curious Ukrainian drone that crashed in September, 2024 was widely reported in russian media. Although various folks claimed this wreckage showed the remains of a jet engine, things did not look right.
December 5, 2024 at 10:23 AM
Great analysis of a crashed Ukrainian drone, certainly worth a read for anyone interested in asymmetric defense technology.
True power is having others take the fall for your failures
President Yoon approves dismissal of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun
December 5, 2024 at 1:17 AM
True power is having others take the fall for your failures
Reposting both as a reminder to myself to deep dive this as well as share what looks to be an awesome resource for using LLMs in a research context.
Interested in learning to use large language models for historical research? We have a Colab notebook which guides non-coders through using APIs to interrogate data github.com/Addaci/Aurel...
December 3, 2024 at 11:45 AM
Reposting both as a reminder to myself to deep dive this as well as share what looks to be an awesome resource for using LLMs in a research context.
Reposted by CaptainVTOL
This week @olliecarroll.bsky.social & I look at how Ukraine’s drone war is evolving. Ukr observing 1,000 Russian drones in each 24 hour period. Drones carrying more & flying further per dollar. More types, from bombers to interceptors. AI guidance advancing rapidly www.economist.com/europe/2024/...
How Ukraine uses cheap AI-guided drones to deadly effect against Russia
Ukraine is making tens of thousands of them
www.economist.com
December 2, 2024 at 10:35 AM
This week @olliecarroll.bsky.social & I look at how Ukraine’s drone war is evolving. Ukr observing 1,000 Russian drones in each 24 hour period. Drones carrying more & flying further per dollar. More types, from bombers to interceptors. AI guidance advancing rapidly www.economist.com/europe/2024/...
It's tough to realize that numbers can be complicated. "Number bigger than last year" doesn't tell the whole story, and actually can represent a proportional cut at the expense of our national defense.
When someone argues that defense spending should be less than 2.5% of GDP:
December 1, 2024 at 8:16 PM
It's tough to realize that numbers can be complicated. "Number bigger than last year" doesn't tell the whole story, and actually can represent a proportional cut at the expense of our national defense.
Reposted by CaptainVTOL
I always show this stat to people whenever they complain about the defense budget
what i think most people don't understand is that defense spending is not actually high--in fact, it is *near record lows* as a percent of gdp. and we're not living in the end of history anymore--we're headed into a new era of instability and great power conflict.
www.defense.gov/Multimedia/P...
www.defense.gov/Multimedia/P...
December 1, 2024 at 6:23 PM
I always show this stat to people whenever they complain about the defense budget
Reposted by CaptainVTOL
SAA when they have to fight when a mild breeze
November 29, 2024 at 7:31 PM
SAA when they have to fight when a mild breeze
This is giving 2021 Afghanistan vibes.
Much of Assad's Army has already fled Aleppo -- there's no defensive line anymore.
Multiple negotiations are underway for regime forces still in the city to surrender or be allowed safe exit.
Multiple negotiations are underway for regime forces still in the city to surrender or be allowed safe exit.
November 29, 2024 at 6:38 PM
This is giving 2021 Afghanistan vibes.
Excellent look-back at the significant operations occurring in the Black Sea just a year ago. As always, great work by @covertshores.bsky.social
Thread 1/n
Step by step, the war in the Black Sea, month of November 2023 (1 year ago). From my tracker www.hisutton.com/Timeline-202...
#OSINT
Nov 4: #Russian Pr.22800 Karakurt class corvette struck by Ukrainian missiles at shipyard in Kerch.
Step by step, the war in the Black Sea, month of November 2023 (1 year ago). From my tracker www.hisutton.com/Timeline-202...
#OSINT
Nov 4: #Russian Pr.22800 Karakurt class corvette struck by Ukrainian missiles at shipyard in Kerch.
November 29, 2024 at 11:20 AM
Excellent look-back at the significant operations occurring in the Black Sea just a year ago. As always, great work by @covertshores.bsky.social
Happy Thanksgiving to all! To good times with family and great food!
November 28, 2024 at 2:12 PM
Happy Thanksgiving to all! To good times with family and great food!
Until we make a career as a mariner enticing to the next generation, this problem will only get worse as the old heads age out. Not addressing it is a national security sleeping giant that most Americans, hell most in the Defense community, dont even know exists.
The US Navy will temporarily cease operations of more than a dozen of its support vessels as it continues to address an ongoing manpower shortage
t.co/PaDqxMpTlK
t.co/PaDqxMpTlK
https://thedefensepost.com/2024/11/27/us-navy-sideline-vessels/
t.co
November 28, 2024 at 1:19 AM
Until we make a career as a mariner enticing to the next generation, this problem will only get worse as the old heads age out. Not addressing it is a national security sleeping giant that most Americans, hell most in the Defense community, dont even know exists.