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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 1d

AUKUS may be safe but the US still isn't building enough Virginia-class submarines.

My latest for @fpri.bsky.social

www.fpri.org/article/2025...

AUKUS Still Has a Virginia Problem - Foreign Policy Research Institute

In a move that has likely led to sighs of relief in London and Canberra, the Trump administration has reportedly reaffirmed its commitment to the AUKUS

www.fpri.org

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 1d

I realised today that my imposter syndrome has not only gone but entirely reversed.

My response to being approached by a govt as a subject-matter expert in emerging miltech would previously have been "wtf me no" but is now "cool I have a list of things that are wrong, do you have a pen?"

a man in a blue shirt is holding a piece of paper that says write that down .

ALT: a man in a blue shirt is holding a piece of paper that says write that down .

media.tenor.com

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 1d

The best thing about AUKUS being back in the news is that I have an excuse to write about these gorgeous beasts, Virginias are for lovers

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 1d

Army, Marines, Air Force

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 2d

Even aside from the many-layered historical wrongness of that premise, people also need to remember that both the Chinese and the Russian defence-industrial bases have their own special flavours of sclerotic and bloated, we are not ever going to be fighting some perfect war machine

Secretary of Defense Rock @sodrock.bsky.social · 2d

Also they ran just incredibly awful commentary with incredibly shawty evidence (which I’m sure will become feature at CBS now). For example, the author of this piece claimed the Allies won WWII with inferior technology minus the atomic bomb lol

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 5d

"We cannot control who sees what, we cannot see what users are doing, and we cannot verify that the software itself is secure," the memo says.

Ah, so it's literally a palantír, let's wrap it up and keep it away from the halflings.

www.yahoo.com/news/article...

Anduril and Palantir battlefield communication system has deep flaws, Army memo says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The much-needed modernization of the U.S. Army's battlefield communications network being undertaken by Anduril, Palantir and others is rife with "fundamental security" problems ...

www.yahoo.com

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 5d

Not only is this a great primer on the lessons of Kasserine, but editing it made me think of my late adopted grandfather, who was one of the Brits there (anti-tank infantry) "teaching the Americans to fight" ♥️

War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 5d

Defeat at Kasserine Pass reshaped how the U.S. Army fought in World War II and how it learns today.

The Importance of the Battle of Kasserine Pass

The Battle of Kasserine Pass in February 1943 was the first significant engagement between German and U.S. forces in World War II. The fight delivered a

warontherocks.com

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 6d

THREAD

ريّان نور @noorryan.bsky.social · 6d

Ok.
Let's talk about #SoW (what an apt acronym) #Hegseth's last pronunciamento. As much as I feel nothing but Schadenfreude seeing generals being at the receiving end of a bullshit briefing in a reverse Uno karmic proverbial return of the boomerang, I have a few things to says.

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 6d

I recommended two favourites for this, check it out if you need some TBR inspiration for the cosy evenings

Marcel Dirsus @marceldirsus.com · 6d

I asked friends of the newsletter for book recommendations. There were no restrictions, so these books are old and new, fiction and non-fiction. If you like to read, take a look:

(And if you have recommendations yourself, add them in the comments)

thehundred.substack.com/p/the-hundre...

The Hundred 2025 Winter Reading List

Books, Books, Books

thehundred.substack.com

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 7d

This entire speech is deeply insulting to every single servicemember who joined the US military to serve and protect their nation.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8d

Hegseth: "A few months ago I was at the White House when President Trump announced his liberation day for America's trade policy. It was a landmark day. Well, today is another liberation day. The liberation of America's warriors ... you kill people and break things for a living."

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 8d

Perfect Germany, no notes

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 8d

Now they're quibbling with me over the exact wording of my travel receipts because there's tax added onto my flight ticket cost.

Peak Germany 🤌🏻

Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 22d

The German reputation for efficiency does not survive contact with the Bundeswehr, who just reached out today to finally pay me for something I did in... June.

a cartoon sloth in a shirt and tie stamping a piece of paper

ALT: a cartoon sloth in a shirt and tie stamping a piece of paper

media.tenor.com

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 9d

This is really great news but you also gotta, like, build more Virginias so if you could fix that, cheers

asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/tr...

AUKUS survives Pentagon review, with US submarine sales to proceed

Washington to conclude evaluation ahead of Australian PM's visit on Oct. 20

asia.nikkei.com

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Reposted by Dr Emma Salisbury

Aaron Stein @aaronstein1.bsky.social · 9d

The always excellent @salisbot.bsky.social for @fpri.bsky.social :: The Return of Subic Bay open.substack.com/pub/behindth...

The Return of Subic Bay

Subic Bay is back in American planning.

open.substack.com

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 9d

The Americans are back in Subic Bay after three decades - and I wrote about the how and the why

www.fpri.org/article/2025...

www.fpri.org

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 11d

The corrected version too, gotta write it out a hundred times before sunrise

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 11d

Clair Obscur. Best thing I've played in years!

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 12d

I suspect the Russians don't want to risk airlift assets with that many drones flying around, but I could be wrong

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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 12d

In today's edition of "war changes, war stays the same" - Kesselschlacht or encirclement.

This is how you do it 🙌🏻

MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 12d

👀 AFU in the Pokrovsk direction surrounded the Russians in three "pocket", depriving them of their main means of retreat, - Russian voenkor.

More than 330 km² and 16 settlements have been liberated, Russian positions are cut off from logistics, AFU drones are tracking and destroying Russian convoys