Military technology
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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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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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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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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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Stand still so I can shoot you
Why it’s hard to destroy airborne drones << But WHY did you do it? Three locks for the price of one >> Hi there. This week I’m talking about a topic which has been trending in Ireland over the past… Continue reading
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Hitting a bullet with a bullet
How missile defence shields work (or don’t). << Review: House of Nitroglycerine TBC >> Hello again. I really had intended to move on from my A House of Dynamite obsession this week (honestly!), but I kept coming back to one… Continue reading
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Double nuclear trouble
The threat posed by nuclear-powered nuclear-armed missiles << Setting the scene Review: A House of Dynamite>> Hi there. I’m interrupting normal service (we were talking about military world-building, and will get back to it) to report on the latest developments… Continue reading
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Silicon psychopaths
AI and the military << Don’t eat the grenade Holy Grail or Poisoned Chalice? >> Hi there. This week I want to talk about the war elephant in the room: artificial intelligence. I’ve been reading, using, and thinking about AI… Continue reading
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Don’t eat the grenade
How hand-thrown fragmentation weapons work (or don’t) << Explosive porcupines Silicon psychopaths>> Hello again folks. This week I’m going to talk about hand grenades. I was prompted by watching the movie Sinners, which (although excellent) features one instance of the… Continue reading
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Explosive porcupines: Why strapping explosives to tanks makes them safer
Tanks, Explosive Reactive Armour and Defensive Aid Suites << The end of the line Don’t eat the grenade >> Update: If you’re new here, you might also be interested in learning how vehicle armour works (terminal ballistics) or busting the… Continue reading
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The end of the line
The science of terminal ballistics << Ireland and the Defence Industrial Complex Explosive porcupines >> Today is the last instalment in my periodic series on ballistics. We’ve ran out of road on this story, and reached our terminus: terminal ballistics,… Continue reading
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You spin me right round baby…
The science of external ballistics. << Barrel envy Fashion victims >> Hello again. Continuing the ballistics trend, this week I’m talking about external ballistics. So far, we’ve covered wound ballistics, intermediate ballistics (with a deep dive on silencers), and internal… Continue reading
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Barrel envy
Gun design principles and internal ballistics. << The underwater nuclear family You spin me right round baby… >> Hi there and Happy Thursday. This week I’m picking up the ballistics thread again. We covered wound ballistics and intermediate ballistics a… Continue reading
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The underwater nuclear family
What, exactly, is a “nuclear” submarine? << Bouncing blades Barrel envy >> Hello all. I was working on an article all about internal ballistics this week, but got sidetracked by President Trump’s recent announcement about positioning “Nuclear Submarines” in the… Continue reading
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Woke warriors: Sustainability and the military
Can military operations be sustainable? Should they be? << Send in the troops (Part 2) Splash damage in video games >> Today I want to look at sustainability in the military context. I’m talking about “sustainability” in its everyday meaning… Continue reading
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The science behind the Massive Ordnance Penetrator
A quick guide to bunker-busting bombs. << Send in the troops (Part 1) Send in the troops (Part 2) >> Hello again. This week I rejigged my editorial calendar a bit in order to write about the “bunker busting” bombs… Continue reading
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Indiscriminate killers?
The reality of cluster munitions << My culture is not your fitness regime Film review: Warfare >> Hello again to all my new and regular readers alike. Cluster munitions have been in the news recently, primarily because of the Russo-Ukrainian War.… Continue reading
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Magical instant bullets
Unreal Tournament weapons: Part 3 🎧 Audio narration available for subscribers. Sign up below to access. << Flak Cannons and shotguns Custard bombs >> Update: If you want to see more Unreal Tournament articles, check out my pieces on laser… Continue reading
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The Flak Cannon makes no sense, but I love it regardless
Unreal Tournament weapons: Part 2 🎧 Available in audio << Dr. Strangelove and Mutually Assured Destruction Magical instant bullets >> Hello again. This week I’m bringing another instalment in our Unreal Tournament weapon critiques. I’ll turn my beady eyes on… Continue reading
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Attention and the military
The myths and realities of military multitasking. << The military lone wolf in Hollywood storytelling Military administration >> In the last few weeks I’ve gone on a slightly coincidental binge of books and articles about productivity, focus, and deep work.… Continue reading
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TNT vs. dynamite
Two very different (but oft-confused) explosives. << Film review: Civil War The military lone wolf in Hollywood storytelling >> This week I’d like to spend a bit of time talking about two interesting explosives1 which people often think of as… Continue reading
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Weapon critiques: HEAT doesn’t melt
What Hollywood and the media gets wrong about anti-tank weapons. << EOD Critiques: Don’t cut the red wire! Weapon critiques: Rocket fails>> This week I want to talk about anti-tank ammunition, specifically, what we in the business call “HEAT”, or… Continue reading
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Memoirs of a CBRN crusader
A review of “Chemical Warrior: Syria, Salisbury and Saving Lives at War”, by Hamish de Bretton-Gordon. << Christmas greetings EOD Critiques: Don’t cut the red wire! >> Happy New Year readers! Whether you’re new to the blog or a returning… Continue reading
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Ammunition storage failures
Doing things the right way is hard work. << After the war: unexploded ordnance Christmas greetings >> Hello again to all my new and old readers alike. I hope you enjoyed last week’s discussion on WW2 bomb disposal in Germany… Continue reading
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Nuclear Weapons: Fact Vs. Fiction
Weapons of mass distraction: Part 4. << Radiological Weapons: Fact Vs. Fiction Six months of military pedantry >> Hello again, and Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers. Welcome to this fourth and final instalment of my weapons of mass… Continue reading
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Science fiction weapons: Lasers (Part 1)
All you never needed to know about lasers. << Mil-itary precision Science fiction weapons: Lasers (Part 2) >> Happy Thursday everyone. This week, by popular request, I’m going to start looking at weapons in science fiction. Even though science fiction is… Continue reading
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Mil-itary precision
Where are the gunners? “Artillery is the God of war” —Joseph Stalin << The Hurt Locker (Addendum) Science Fiction Weapons: Lasers>> Happy Thursday everyone. This week I’m picking up another loose end from my Firearm Fail: Pistols series (Part 1, Part… Continue reading
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“Over and out”, over and over again
What Hollywood gets wrong about military radio communications. 🎧 Available in audio << Lessons in artillery abuse Just stepping out to the Andromeda Galaxy for a coffee >> This week, I want to alert you to an alarming fact, of which you… Continue reading
