Barry Walker

@MidOfficer @NoahGairn That's why there's an AOPS at the entrance to Hudson's Bay..

@NoahGairn As ever I am disappointed in the Navy's steadfast refusal to defend the prairies.

Some interesting things coming out of Navy Day at least. We'll have a rundown in the Newsletter of some of the stuff talked about and such, among others, but this stood out to me. Thanks Jeff for sharing!

@BrianSantarpia @CDNPolicyHawk And at the time that was written, there were still government imperatives to reduce spending.. hence the comment on finding better ways to run the “enterprise”

@CDNPolicyHawk This statement was true in 2017 and remains true today. Understanding and expressing this is the easy part. Cutting through the cultural and bureaucratic inertia is the challenge. The big innovations come from heretics, within and external to an institution.

I'm working on a piece about Canadian Maritime Strategy and was, natually, reading the RCN's most recent (from 2017!) strategic plan. The fact that this section not only exists, but is selected as a lift-out quote, really pisses me off. What are we even doing?

@RUSI_NS @RoyalCanNavy @NationalDefence Canada will need a minium of 4 and preferably 6 Asterix-class or Protecteur-class vessels for the future fleet.

Motor Vessel ASTERIX, replenishment oiler leased to @RoyalCanNavy, shows utility of support ships for CAN🇨🇦internat'l relations, especially distant/long endurance missions cpf.navy.mil/Photo-Gallery/… @NationalDefence should retain AST after 2 new Protecteur-class oilers in service

@ThomasWatsonCD That still won't make him an Air Commodore...😀

This can be solved by announcing his promotion to BGen as soon as he lands.

@DivebumChef 18 years since the alleged office to start the investigation, 2 years to lay charges... sigh the wheels of justice move slowly

canada.ca/en/department-… The MWO used to be Executive Assistant to Sergeant Major of the Chief, Professional Conduct and Culture (CPCC) Anyhow

@mattgurney Just in time to be replaced!

The Cyclone helicopters are expected to be fully in service in four more years.

The year is 2447. Nanobot swarms wage endless war with nadion bursts and EMPs in the toxic skies of a planet once known as Earth, as they have since The Flaying. From its redoubt on Titan, the Canadian government-in-exile announces it is still reviewing the F-35 purchase.

@Mr_Husky1 You gave them $1.64 more than they deserved. Pro tip: always carry small bills and change!

I’m usually a strong tipper. I respect the work and understand how tough restaurant jobs can be—but tipping is still tied to service. Tonight started off rough. I walked in, waited at a “please wait to be seated” sign, and got no acknowledgment. Eventually, I had to ask if they were even seating people. I got seated, ordered, food came out, and yes—the server checked in. But when it came time to leave, everything fell apart. I had cash ready—a $20 and a $10—and planned to ask for $5 back, leaving about a $7 tip on an $18 tab. I know I’m a one-top, so I try to tip a little extra to make up for it. The check gets dropped… and then nothing. No follow-up, no effort to close it out. I’m just sitting there, clearly ready to pay and leave. At a certain point, I’m not going to wait indefinitely just to hand someone a bigger tip. Total was $18.36. I left $20 and walked out. That’s not about being cheap—it’s about not being stuck waiting just to pay. If it takes longer to close out than it did to eat, something’s off. Take care of your customers, and they’ll take care of you.

@TimDocChoi That connects nicely with Shearwater - i could see a multi-modal expeditionary hub. It just needs a rail connection and a bigger jetty for a JSS or honkin’ big ship

@CDNPolicyHawk Garbage in - Garbage out was a popular saying in the early days of computing. It is still relevant to the development of AI.

Is AI writing getting worse? Or am I just becoming better at identifying it, and more off-put by the sameness of it all?

@WeaponScientist I am surprised that you cite UNCLOS as an authority given that the USA has never ratified that treaty/

The sinking of the IRIS Dena fully complied with both customary LOAC and UNCLOS. Anyone disputing this fact is either ignorant or lying. The circumstances of how the vessel ended up in the Indian Ocean are irrelevant.

@Arturmaks @ChrisGNardi Do you think he’ll be able to make progress on a new or updated national security strategy. Nothing has been published in this area since Securing an Open Society in 2004, and it needs a lot of work!

@ChrisGNardi Dominic Rochon will be excellent in that role. Have immense respect for him.

Interesting: PM Mark Carney has announced a new deputy minister shuffle that effectively eliminates the title of “National Security and Intelligence Advisor”. Appoints a new PCO DM leading on Security and Intelligence though. Hard to tell what, if anything, this will change 🔗 ⬇️

@NoahGairn Just get a new iPad (Air or Pro) with the Magic Keyboard. Just like Frank’s Hot Sauce, I use that stuff everywhere… 😛

Oh, I have multiple options there. Desktop, laptop, macbook... just sometimes I end up working on my phone because i'm moving around or doing other stuff and multitasking. For example as I was doing my submarine steel article I was also playing Stardew. Priorities.

@NoahGairn Before we write a defence policy, we need a national security strategy so we can figure out what we need to defend. The last one was written in 2004 and needs a lot of re-work.

We need a new Defence Policy. Thats very clear. I plan to write about it this week, but I'm curious what other people would like to hypothetically see.

@CDNPolicyHawk @NoahGairn 😀

@NoahGairn On the off chance either Hanwha or TKMS *do* want to hire a Noah person: I'm available. Just send me all the information you want Noah to get, along with a six figure salary, and I'll pass it on to him. I'm perfect for this, as I already have experience DMing him.

I am far from the only one covering the sub competition. Perhaps I am the one covering it the most frequently, and perhaps in certain details others wouldnt, but im far from the only significant source. I promise neither care about me enough to have a Noah person.

@davidpugliese @OttawaCitizen Don’t forget that this budget item has to include total costs for the lifetime of the equipment. This can far exceed the purchase cost.

DND confirms budget for new Arctic vehicles could be as high as $1 billion. The budget estimate for the Canadian Army to replace the aging fleet of BV-206 vehicles has skyrocketed in less than a year. ottawacitizen.com/public-service… via @ottawacitizen

..."The U.S. does not maintain a military presence in Europe solely to protect Europeans; it does so to protect American interests. #NATO provides the legal and physical infrastructure for the United States to operate globally." Read for yourself. belfercenter.org/research-analy… 2/2

Remarkable letter from every US ambassador to NATO and SACEUR in the last 20 years -- except @stavridisj for some reason -- trying to convince the Trump administration that ... 1/

@mwmoedinger Get a Mac or iPad and just print the document to a PDF.

I need to make a PDF from a Word doc. Word says I'm not signed into Adobe so it won't do it. I am, in fact, signed into Adobe. I've restarted, signed in/out, force quit, etc. THIS is why licensed software is SO annoying. I do miss actually *owning* my software programs.

@CDNPolicyHawk They should add the stuff that is needed as the boats are built. It is more expensive to retrofit!

I think we should be encouraged by this. The Navy is focused on getting the core capability in place, and will work towards the expanded capability. This will rankle those who think of the new submarines exclusively in Arctic terms, though.

"The new submarines Canada plans to buy will not arrive with all the necessary equipment to operate under Arctic ice" This has always been a tension within the program. We want the speed that comes from not modifying the design, AND new capabilities... theglobeandmail.com/politics/artic…

@mdt546 Feel free to leave