2026
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Science Fiction Weapons
A new Realism Report on exotic weapons of the future. << The thin blue line TBC >> From lasers to lightsabers, and phasers to plasma, the armouries of the future offer a wider set of technologies than today. But I… Continue reading
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The thin blue line
More reflections on UN peacekeeping << What peacekeepers do Science fiction weapons >> This week I’m going to stay on the topic of UN peacekeeping. I had wanted to include a lot of personal reflection in last week’s post, but… Continue reading
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What peacekeepers do
UN Peacekeeping and The Gentlemen. << It’s like a gun, but crappier The thin blue line >> Hello and happy Thursday. I’m pivoting away from Warhammer 40k this week to talk about UN peacekeeping. A reader asked me to break… Continue reading
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It’s like a gun, but crappier
The weapons of Warhammer 40,000 (Part 3). << All about chainswords What peacekeepers do >> Hello again. I’m still on the Warhammer train this week. It seemed to be a popular topic. Who am I to deny the wisdom of… Continue reading
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All about chainswords
The weapons of Warhammer 40,000 (Part 2). << Interrupted service It’s like a gun, but crappier >> Hi and Happy Thursday. Thanks for bearing with my interrupted service last week. This week I’m sticking with the theme of Warhammer 40,000… Continue reading
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Interrupted service
Taking an unscheduled break from Warhammer 40,000. << Grimdark armoury All about chainswords >> Hi there. I was hoping to spend this week’s post talking about melee weapons in Warhammer 40,000, as a follow-on to last week’s post. Unfortunately, unexpected… Continue reading
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Grimdark armoury
The weapons of Warhammer 40,000 (Part 1). << Trigger finger in the loop Interrupted service >> This week I’m going to talk about the weapons of Warhammer 40,000. Or rather, I’m going to start talking about them, because this topic… Continue reading
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Trigger finger in the loop
Bump stocks, forced reset triggers, and some more thoughts on automatic rifles. << Automatic fail TBC >> Hello. I was planning to do a more science-fiction themed post this week but realised that I have a bit more to say… Continue reading
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Automatic fail
What Hollywood gets wrong about automatic weapons. << How to spot a suicide bomber TBC >> This week I’m picking up another topic which was inspired by watching the latest Season of Reacher. Last week I spoke about how apprehending… Continue reading
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How to spot a suicide bomber
Analysing Jack Reacher’s list of indicators. << Code Bleak TBC >> Hello there and Happy Thursday. I’ve made the mistake of starting Reacher Season 4 on Amazon. I know, I know. I have only myself to blame at this stage.… Continue reading
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Code Bleak
A Grey’s Anatomy realism report << Inter-military camaraderie TBC >> Hello there. I was asked by a reader to do a realism report, a.k.a. a snide and pedantic review of Grey’s Anatomy. Specifically, there’s a double episode (episodes 16 and… Continue reading
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Inter-military camaraderie
Why folks from different armies (often) get along. << Holiday hiatus TBC >> Hi there and Happy Thursday. Today’s post is going to be a short one because last week’s holiday in the UK was inadvertently extended due to a… Continue reading
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Holiday hiatus
Hi there. I’m leaving you without a post this week because I’m on holiday with the family. In the meantime, I’ll just leave you with this video which was sent to me a few days ago, and which encapsulates some… Continue reading
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The purpose of the exercise is…
Unwrapping loose military terminology in everyday life. << Ballistics: movie myths versus reality Holiday hiatus >> Hi there. This week I’m going to dwell on a rather pedantic point which nonetheless is important because of what it says about our… Continue reading
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Ballistics: movie myths versus reality
A new Realism Report on real vs. movie ballistics. << False economy: Part 2 TBC >> Hello and Happy Thursday all. This week I’ve been busy collating my ballistics articles into a single Realism Report. I’ll share the introduction to… Continue reading
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False economy: Part 2
Where military spending really gets wasted. << False economy: Part 1 TBC >> … … … 2. What about the waste? .. Strategic autonomy Patronage “Red tape” of compliance, testing, etc. (+security clearances) I wrote in the last section about… Continue reading
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False economy: Part 1
Some harsh realities about doing war on the cheap. << The truth about tricked-out weapons False economy: Part 2 >> Hi there. I hope you’re all enjoying the summer. For my US-based readers, I hope you had a wonderful 250th… Continue reading
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The truth about tricked-out weapons
Why military equipment personalisation is not like computer games. << Modern myths about asymmetric war TBC >> Hello and Happy Thursday. This week’s column is based on a reader’s question from a few months back: How much are soldiers allowed… Continue reading
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Modern myths about asymmetric war
Unravelling the hype and misconceptions about modern military technology and tactics. << The irreversible officer The truth about tricked-out weapons >> Hi there. The US-Iran deal-or-no-deal intrigue goes on. There are many aspects of this I could write about, but,… Continue reading
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The irreversible officer
Why the military commissioned profession is like no other. << Don’t call me “sir,” I work for a living Modern myths about asymmetric war >> Hello and Happy Thursday. This week I’m going to attempt to answer a question posed… Continue reading
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Don’t call me “sir,” I work for a living
Military world-building for creators. Part 1a: The rank structures << The Truth About Explosive Ordnance Disposal The irreversible officer >> Hi there. This week I’m going to delve into a topic which might be old hat to many of you,… Continue reading
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The Truth About Explosive Ordnance Disposal
All you need to know about EOD on one page. << Our battles have plans, sir? Don’t call me “sir,” I work for a living >> Explosive Ordnance Disposal, or EOD, is a specialised military (and sometimes civilian) capability which… Continue reading
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Our battles have plans, sir?
The movie myth of complex planning << Too big to not fail The truth about Explosive Ordnance Disposal >> I recently re-watched Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy because it landed on Netflix and it had been a few years since I’d… Continue reading
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Too big to not fail
The paradox of ammunition stockpile management << The Dublin Gunpowder Explosion Our battles have plans, sir? >> Hello there. This week I want to talk about the logistics of ammunition. Exciting stuff, I know! But please bear with me, because… Continue reading
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The Dublin Gunpowder Explosion
The first destruction of Woodquay << Confessions of a WAG Too big to not fail >> Hi there. I hope you enjoyed last week’s guest post from my other and better half: Confessions of a [military] WAG. Aside from being… Continue reading
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Confessions of a WAG
The woman behind the man in uniform. << Tanks for the memories The Dublin Gunpowder Explosion >> Happy Thursday everyone! The Director is on a well-earned break this week and has decided to leave the blog open for a guest… Continue reading
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Tanks for the memories
The tough task of recognising Armoured Fighting Vehicles << The path of the righteous soldier Confessions of a WAG >> Hello and Happy Thursday. Two weeks ago I wrote about the complexity of main battle tanks (and why James Bond’s… Continue reading
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The path of the righteous soldier
Religion and the military << How to drive a tank Tanks for the memories >> Hi there. If you’ve been paying any attention to the news this week, you can’t have missed the tragic spectacle of US Secretary of Defense… Continue reading
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How to drive a tank
And other nuances of armoured fighting vehicles which Hollywood gets wrong << All the tech, still losing The path of the righteous soldier >> Hi there. I was re-watching GoldenEye on DVD recently. For once, I was well-behaved and didn’t… Continue reading
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All the tech, still losing
A [short] review of 3 Body Problem and its relevance to today’s conflict. << Thunderstruck How to drive a tank >> Hi there and Happy Thursday. This week’s post is going to be short and disjointed because I spent most… Continue reading
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Thunderstruck
Why America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is actually a realistic military reality TV show. << Mass Destruction or Distraction? All the tech, still losing >> I’ve been writing the last few weeks about the War in Iran / Third Gulf… Continue reading
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Mass Destruction or Distraction?
A Military Realism Report on WMDs << Killer robots and asymmetric war Thunderstruck >> Hi there. This week I’m serving up some re-heated content which you may have seen before. Apologies, but I’m travelling a bit this week and know… Continue reading
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Killer robots and asymmetric war
Some more thoughts on the war in the Persian Gulf 🎧 Audio narration available for subscribers. Sign up below to access. << Three lessons from the Third Gulf War Mass Destruction or Distraction?>> Hello. I’m afraid this week’s post is… Continue reading
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Three lessons from the Third Gulf War
What the US-Israel-Iran war has taught us… so far. 🎧 Audio narration available for subscribers. Sign up below to access. << Understanding EOD attire Killer robots and asymmetric war>> Hi there. As I promised last week, today’s post includes some… Continue reading
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Understanding EOD attire
What it’s really like to wear the famous bomb suit. 🎧 Audio narration available for subscribers. Sign up below to access. << EU and what army? Three lessons from the Third Gulf War >> Hello and happy Thursday. I hope… Continue reading
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EU and what army?
Why the EU doesn’t have its own military force… for now. 🎧 Audio narration available for subscribers. Sign up below to access. << How Guns Work Understanding EOD attire >> Hi there. This week I want to talk about EU… Continue reading
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How Guns Work
Introducing my Military Realism Reports << What if we used every single nuclear weapon? EU and what army? >> Hi there folks. This week I’ve been working on something different. Instead of my usual 2-3k word article, I’ve been putting… Continue reading
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What if we used every single nuclear weapon?
The end of New START and what the world’s nuclear arsenal could do. 🎧 Audio narration available for subscribers. Sign up below to access. << High altitude, high supply How Guns Work >> Hello there. Last week saw the expiry… Continue reading
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High altitude, high supply
A review of The Fort Bragg Cartel 🎧 Audio narration available for subscribers. Sign up below to access. << Hard routine and camo cream What if every nuclear weapon was used? >> Hello there. This week I’m reviewing a fascinating… Continue reading
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Hard routine and camo cream
The importance of not being seen. 🎧 Audio narration available for subscribers. Sign up below to access. << Neutrality is not a shield High altitude, high supply >> Hello and Happy Thursday. This week I’d like to talk about the… Continue reading
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Neutrality is not a shield
Tackling another assumption of (Irish) neutrality. 🎧 Audio narration available for subscribers. Sign up below to access. << Nukes into ploughshares Hard routine and camo cream >> Hello again. This week I’d like to look at Irish neutrality again. I’m… Continue reading
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Nukes into ploughshares
When peaceful nuclear explosions were almost a thing. 🎧 Audio narration available for subscribers. Sign up below to access. << How the sausage is made Neutrality is not a shield >> Hello again folks. This week I want to talk… Continue reading
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How the sausage is made
Military world building: how special operations happen. << New Year’s Resolutions Nukes into ploughshares >> Unless you’ve spent the last week under a rock you’ll have seen that the US Delta Force captured Venezuela’s dictator/president Nicolás Maduro on the morning… Continue reading
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New Year’s Resolutions
For Hollywood action heroes and filmmakers (and bloggers). << Explosive selection boxes How the sausage is made >> Hello there and a Happy New Year to all my readers. I hope you’ve had (or are still having) a wonderful Christmas/Holiday… Continue reading
