Matthew
@mglimcher.bsky.social
Aerospace engineer, general aerospace enthusiast and walking encyclopedia.
Armature target archer with a 50lb bow.
Have a blog about engineering related things I find interesting at https://mglimcheraerospace.com/
Armature target archer with a 50lb bow.
Have a blog about engineering related things I find interesting at https://mglimcheraerospace.com/
How does that compare to what Denmark pays them every year (including public services), plus things like healthcare invariably going up in price?
I'm not sure but I think it would only come out ahead if that's on top of taking over the annual support Denmark currently pays.
I'm not sure but I think it would only come out ahead if that's on top of taking over the annual support Denmark currently pays.
January 12, 2026 at 4:16 PM
How does that compare to what Denmark pays them every year (including public services), plus things like healthcare invariably going up in price?
I'm not sure but I think it would only come out ahead if that's on top of taking over the annual support Denmark currently pays.
I'm not sure but I think it would only come out ahead if that's on top of taking over the annual support Denmark currently pays.
if he's so worried about china and russia taking greenland, he could just work with greenalnd and denmark to make sure that doesn't happen, no acquiring required.
January 12, 2026 at 1:35 PM
if he's so worried about china and russia taking greenland, he could just work with greenalnd and denmark to make sure that doesn't happen, no acquiring required.
I don’t think he understands how expensive it is to keep Greenland. Getting to have military bases there without having to pay for owning Greenland or taking care of its people is such a good deal, even before you think about how stupid invading a NATO ally would be.
January 11, 2026 at 2:05 AM
I don’t think he understands how expensive it is to keep Greenland. Getting to have military bases there without having to pay for owning Greenland or taking care of its people is such a good deal, even before you think about how stupid invading a NATO ally would be.
There’s a reason success for a revolution usually means enough of the army switching sides.
January 10, 2026 at 10:16 PM
There’s a reason success for a revolution usually means enough of the army switching sides.
if it's enough missiles, it's a potential "use it or loose it" threat to your second strike capability even if they're conventionally armed, which would call for nuclear retaliation before they hit regardless.
January 9, 2026 at 2:00 PM
if it's enough missiles, it's a potential "use it or loose it" threat to your second strike capability even if they're conventionally armed, which would call for nuclear retaliation before they hit regardless.
I actually don't think it matters.
If it's just one or two missiles or aimed at something else, you don't care if they're nuclear armed or not because it won't take out your prompt second strike capability, so who would be crazy enough to escalate to nukes, and you can afford to wait and see.
If it's just one or two missiles or aimed at something else, you don't care if they're nuclear armed or not because it won't take out your prompt second strike capability, so who would be crazy enough to escalate to nukes, and you can afford to wait and see.
January 9, 2026 at 2:00 PM
I actually don't think it matters.
If it's just one or two missiles or aimed at something else, you don't care if they're nuclear armed or not because it won't take out your prompt second strike capability, so who would be crazy enough to escalate to nukes, and you can afford to wait and see.
If it's just one or two missiles or aimed at something else, you don't care if they're nuclear armed or not because it won't take out your prompt second strike capability, so who would be crazy enough to escalate to nukes, and you can afford to wait and see.
Depends on your safety standards.
If the question is, can you make it stay on and explode when it’s supposed to, probably weeks
If the question is, can you guarantee it won’t explode when it isn’t supposed to and that all the standard nuclear weapon safety features work, it might take years.
If the question is, can you make it stay on and explode when it’s supposed to, probably weeks
If the question is, can you guarantee it won’t explode when it isn’t supposed to and that all the standard nuclear weapon safety features work, it might take years.
January 9, 2026 at 1:11 PM
Depends on your safety standards.
If the question is, can you make it stay on and explode when it’s supposed to, probably weeks
If the question is, can you guarantee it won’t explode when it isn’t supposed to and that all the standard nuclear weapon safety features work, it might take years.
If the question is, can you make it stay on and explode when it’s supposed to, probably weeks
If the question is, can you guarantee it won’t explode when it isn’t supposed to and that all the standard nuclear weapon safety features work, it might take years.
I think “nuclear capable” for a missile or bomber usually means that there are weapons/warheads in inventory that can interface correctly without any MacGyvering.
Technically you could put a nuke on anything with at least 100 lbs of payload given the right tools and disregard for your own safety.
Technically you could put a nuke on anything with at least 100 lbs of payload given the right tools and disregard for your own safety.
January 9, 2026 at 3:59 AM
I think “nuclear capable” for a missile or bomber usually means that there are weapons/warheads in inventory that can interface correctly without any MacGyvering.
Technically you could put a nuke on anything with at least 100 lbs of payload given the right tools and disregard for your own safety.
Technically you could put a nuke on anything with at least 100 lbs of payload given the right tools and disregard for your own safety.
With the EU issuing significant joint debt to fund Ukraine now, it might be laying the groundwork to federalize enough for Europe and China to be the two superpowers, with Russia and the US both shadows of their former selves.
January 8, 2026 at 1:21 PM
With the EU issuing significant joint debt to fund Ukraine now, it might be laying the groundwork to federalize enough for Europe and China to be the two superpowers, with Russia and the US both shadows of their former selves.
No matter how you feel about immigration, cracking down on it can’t be worth federal officers doing stuff like this.
And it’ll happen again because ICE is hiring people unfit for the job instead of taking the time and money to do it right.
And it’ll happen again because ICE is hiring people unfit for the job instead of taking the time and money to do it right.
January 7, 2026 at 8:07 PM
No matter how you feel about immigration, cracking down on it can’t be worth federal officers doing stuff like this.
And it’ll happen again because ICE is hiring people unfit for the job instead of taking the time and money to do it right.
And it’ll happen again because ICE is hiring people unfit for the job instead of taking the time and money to do it right.
That sounds depressingly likely given what outside attacks tend to do to public opinion, especially after trump gutted Voice of America.
I’d also add Israel to the list.
I’d also add Israel to the list.
January 7, 2026 at 4:18 PM
That sounds depressingly likely given what outside attacks tend to do to public opinion, especially after trump gutted Voice of America.
I’d also add Israel to the list.
I’d also add Israel to the list.
I also like to mention the minerals (many of the same ones) used in oil refining in large quantities.
Transitioning away from oil would provide all the cobalt we need to build the batteries we need for said transition even without cobalt free chemistries.
Transitioning away from oil would provide all the cobalt we need to build the batteries we need for said transition even without cobalt free chemistries.
January 7, 2026 at 2:55 PM
I also like to mention the minerals (many of the same ones) used in oil refining in large quantities.
Transitioning away from oil would provide all the cobalt we need to build the batteries we need for said transition even without cobalt free chemistries.
Transitioning away from oil would provide all the cobalt we need to build the batteries we need for said transition even without cobalt free chemistries.
I don't agree with intervening in Venezuela, but there was at least some logical, if very hawkish, argument to be made for it.
Threatening US Allies that we'll spend blood and treasure invading to get less security cooperation than we have now on the other hand...
Threatening US Allies that we'll spend blood and treasure invading to get less security cooperation than we have now on the other hand...
January 4, 2026 at 6:09 PM
I don't agree with intervening in Venezuela, but there was at least some logical, if very hawkish, argument to be made for it.
Threatening US Allies that we'll spend blood and treasure invading to get less security cooperation than we have now on the other hand...
Threatening US Allies that we'll spend blood and treasure invading to get less security cooperation than we have now on the other hand...
Yes. I think so.
There’s a reason “may you live in interesting times” is an old Chinese curse.
There’s a reason “may you live in interesting times” is an old Chinese curse.
January 4, 2026 at 3:07 AM
Yes. I think so.
There’s a reason “may you live in interesting times” is an old Chinese curse.
There’s a reason “may you live in interesting times” is an old Chinese curse.
what possible reason could there be to threaten Mexico or Columbia? Those are countries that have been long time US allies and would be happy to work with us against the cartels.
January 3, 2026 at 11:08 PM
what possible reason could there be to threaten Mexico or Columbia? Those are countries that have been long time US allies and would be happy to work with us against the cartels.
Does that include the unused second wave?
January 3, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Does that include the unused second wave?
I'm kind of surprised. it's Chinese flagged and I would have expected China to try and "call our bluff" on the whole blockade thing, especially since they could build a pretty good propaganda win and/or use it to legitimize their own aggression if the US did seize the ship.
January 2, 2026 at 4:06 PM
I'm kind of surprised. it's Chinese flagged and I would have expected China to try and "call our bluff" on the whole blockade thing, especially since they could build a pretty good propaganda win and/or use it to legitimize their own aggression if the US did seize the ship.
People who are army fans but didn’t or couldn’t join seem like the last people you’d want for law enforcement.
January 2, 2026 at 2:43 PM
People who are army fans but didn’t or couldn’t join seem like the last people you’d want for law enforcement.
We'll see what happens when Tehran runs out of water, since that may be unavoidable at this point.
Especially since the Iranian regime has lost so many of their regional friends recently, things could get interesting.
Especially since the Iranian regime has lost so many of their regional friends recently, things could get interesting.
January 1, 2026 at 8:29 PM
We'll see what happens when Tehran runs out of water, since that may be unavoidable at this point.
Especially since the Iranian regime has lost so many of their regional friends recently, things could get interesting.
Especially since the Iranian regime has lost so many of their regional friends recently, things could get interesting.
to do what? we barely have the logistics to support the current fleet in peacetime.
Even if you assume the US gets involved (big if) and mobilize more sailors and pull out ready reserve ships for them, there isn't enough logistical capacity to support even the current fleet in an actual war.
Even if you assume the US gets involved (big if) and mobilize more sailors and pull out ready reserve ships for them, there isn't enough logistical capacity to support even the current fleet in an actual war.
December 30, 2025 at 7:31 PM
to do what? we barely have the logistics to support the current fleet in peacetime.
Even if you assume the US gets involved (big if) and mobilize more sailors and pull out ready reserve ships for them, there isn't enough logistical capacity to support even the current fleet in an actual war.
Even if you assume the US gets involved (big if) and mobilize more sailors and pull out ready reserve ships for them, there isn't enough logistical capacity to support even the current fleet in an actual war.
I agree. They’re very interested in trying to do colonialism better than the west ever did, and I think they’re much more interested in profiting off economic leverage than paying for military leverage. They don’t care if anyone likes them just that everyone needs them.
December 29, 2025 at 4:48 AM
I agree. They’re very interested in trying to do colonialism better than the west ever did, and I think they’re much more interested in profiting off economic leverage than paying for military leverage. They don’t care if anyone likes them just that everyone needs them.
For better or worse, the Chinese aren’t like the soviets, and they aren’t interested in client states or international prestige. I doubt they’d bother with more than special forces and weapons sales even if someone asked them too.
December 28, 2025 at 7:37 PM
For better or worse, the Chinese aren’t like the soviets, and they aren’t interested in client states or international prestige. I doubt they’d bother with more than special forces and weapons sales even if someone asked them too.
I assume it's around 30-35 ft in diameter based on the people and the torpedo tubes, and that would make the extended sail about the right size for SLBMs
December 27, 2025 at 4:15 PM
I assume it's around 30-35 ft in diameter based on the people and the torpedo tubes, and that would make the extended sail about the right size for SLBMs
exactly right. they've built a modified kilo like that before and it's how the first American and Russian ballistic missile subs were built too.
December 25, 2025 at 10:40 PM
exactly right. they've built a modified kilo like that before and it's how the first American and Russian ballistic missile subs were built too.
not sure exactly what missiles north Korea uses, but the tubes for the American and British trident missiles are about 50 ft tall, and a typical attack submarine's hull is only 30-35 ft in diameter, and just building a bigger sub is pretty hard.
December 25, 2025 at 10:36 PM
not sure exactly what missiles north Korea uses, but the tubes for the American and British trident missiles are about 50 ft tall, and a typical attack submarine's hull is only 30-35 ft in diameter, and just building a bigger sub is pretty hard.