There have been calls for Canada to mix its fighter jets so as to have Rafales or Gripens alongside its F-35s. @richardshimooka.bsky.social, @balkandevlen.bsky.social, and I think this is a very bad idea and not only because of the costs involved. nationalpost.com/opinion/mixe...

Opinion: Mixed fleet of fighter jets not the answer for Canada's Air Force

The F-35, Rafale and Gripen are so technologically complex that they have little interchangeability

nationalpost.com

My latest in the Hub, which discusses the perils of trying to shift Canadian defence production away from American supply chains to European ones. It an area not well understood outside a handful of defence analysts and industry members. thehub.ca/2025/04/11/r...

Richard Shimooka: Switching from the American to the European defence market sounds good—but it’s a terrible idea in practice

Doing so would leave Canada’s military and economy much worse off

thehub.ca

A CBC double header from me. First it was my pleasure to answer listener questions on Just Asking, guest hosted Marcia Young on with the incomparable Dr Whitney Lackenbauer to answer questions on the state of the CAF. www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

© CBC/Radio-Canada 2025. All rights reserved.

cbc.ca

Forget annexation. @balkandevlen.bsky.social, @richardshimooka.bsky.social, and I argue in the G&M that "What the White House’s budgetary aspirations indicate ... an insular, enfeebled and politically divided country that harks back to the 1920s and 1930s." www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

Opinion: Donald Trump’s budget priorities are a sign of an insular America, not an imperial one

Domestic defence cuts, inevitable legislative gridlock and a return to isolationism in the U.S. will leave a void that Canada and other allies must fill

theglobeandmail.com

In my latest Substack essay, I write that American society is not polarized--it is complacent and docile, at least for now. open.substack.com/pub/alanoszk...

American Society is Complacent, Not Polarized

Far from being a country that is setting itself up for a civil war, as some claim, American society has become docile.

open.substack.com

My Latest in the Hub - as we move towards an inevitable federal election, the risk of bad Defence policy promises grows. thehub.ca/2025/02/24/r...

Richard Shimooka: Canada’s place in the world is as uncertain as ever. Here’s how Poilievre, Carney, and Freeland are planning to secure it

thehub.ca

The bombastic clickbait title aside, which we did not choose, @balkandevlen.bsky.social, @richardshimooka.bsky.social, and I argue that although Trump's territorial rhetoric is worrisome, his stated ambitions are far from feasible such that we must 'right-size' him. nationalpost.com/opinion/dona...

Opinion: Donald Trump's dangerous game of territorial expansion

If we're not careful, his threats will play into the hands of our enemies

nationalpost.com

As requested: A thread on the birth of plutonium, the incredibly rapid work done to develop the new metal, and the human experiences - and human costs - of the scientists and techs who did the work. In particular, the untold stories of my kindred metallurgist spirits at Los Alamos. #nukesky 1/🧵

Rocky Flats Chimney Sweep 🇺🇸@midlifesuezcrisis.bsky.social · 2y ago

Should I do a thread on this? A pretty complete story of the plutonium work during Manhattan can be told, I even have names and photos for most of the scientists & some of the technicians involved

@balkandevlen.bsky.social, @richardshimooka.bsky.social, and I have a new piece in The Hub on what Assad's fall in Syria tells us about Russia's global political reach and what Canada and its allies ought to do about it. thehub.ca/2024/12/19/r...

Richard Shimooka, Alexander Lanoszka, and Balkan Devlen: What Assad’s collapse in Syria says about Russia’s declining global power

thehub.ca

Of all the days to recommend purchasing submarines from the Republic of Korea... thehub.ca/2024/12/03/r...

Richard Shimooka: Three things Canada can do to meet its NATO defence spending commitment within three years

thehub.ca

My Bluesky Charter: This account is generally for my work, and a few personal interests (hockey, mostly). I strive for respectful interactions, I appreciate when others do the same. If you have a question or comment, I'm generally happy to engage when I have the time.