This really jumped out at me as how the Ghost Bat could be significant to the airforce in unexpected ways. I hadn't heard the seven months figure for AIM-120 integration before (may have been public and I just missed it) so that jumped out at me.

The yanks are notorious for dragging their feet integrating non-US weapons on US platforms. Imagine a world where any new weapons could be integrated on MQ-28s in half a year? Who cares if it's not on the manned aircraft? In a conflict, RAAF could put almost any suitably sized weapon we could get our hands on into service on well under a year by focusing on the CCAs.

The meteor would be a perfect example here. We're supposed to be an early customer for the AIM-260, but if Boeing gets Ghost Bat into Euro air forces, the work would be done for us getting one of the world's best air to air missiles onto a native RAAF platform. In an Asia-Pacific contingency, having access to a non-American munitions line, especially one which there would be relatively few other potential users in our region, could be huge.

Beyond Meteor, there's an ever growing plethora of low-cost missiles being proposed and prototyped all over the world right now: anti-drone, cheap cruise missiles, half size air to air: seems like a new on every week. Again: potentially years to put them on the F-35 or FA-18, maybe months to integrate on Ghost Bat.

Maybe everyone already knew this about the project, but I hadn't thought about it before: the potential value here seems enormous.

Gday all!

I'm looking to get a tattoo off a Soldier with a slouched hat with a few poppies and my great great grandfather's initials as he served in WW1.

All the men in my family share the same initials so this would be an important piece to me.

Now before I go ahead with this, as I am not in the military myself, is it seen as offensive or looked down upon to have a tattoo like this? The last thing I would want to do is offend / upset anyone who has served.

Thanks all!

What things worked out well? What didn't?

Build your ideal.

That's going to have some potentially interesting implications for NSSG.

Shamelessly stealing this from this post on /r/brisbane

This has the potential to have big impacts on a lot of ADF members now and into the future.

$5000 annual limit for allied health services is eaten up very quickly, and this will leave future veterans in a position to have to turn to the public system if your funding runs out.

Petition is able to be signed here: https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN10124

Per title

Theres a gamer on twitch australia

making represenations that he is in the RAAF

This person is Not and Hasn't served in the RAAF so wondering if there is a body should report them too..

My father showed me this old collection of photographs taken by my grandfather during WWII, in Japan. I believe the photos are either of Hiroshima, Nagasaki or Hamada. I feel like they should be preserved somewhere but I'm not sure how to go about that or who I should contact. Any help would be appreciated.

Then and now: Bushmaster “Debbie”

A central feature of the Australian War Memorial’s new Afghanistan galleries is the Bushmaster “Debbie”.

Debbie - more formally known as Echo 21 Alpha - was operating in Afghanistan’s Dehrawud district when she and her crew struck an improvised explosive device on 10 July 2012. All six crew members survived the blast, though two were seriously injured and medically evacuated.

Today, Debbie is preserved in the Memorial’s War in Afghanistan 2001–2021 gallery. In preparing her for display, the gallery team worked to ensure every detail reflected the day of the incident - from the vehicle’s damage, the debris scattered around, to the drinks and snacks stowed in the bins and on the roof, including the kitchen sink.

Debbie now stands as a powerful reminder of the dangers faced by Australian service personnel in Afghanistan, and of the narrow margin between survival and tragedy in modern conflict. Preserving her helps future generations understand not only the realities of Australia’s longest war, but the human experiences carried home by those who served.

#DiscoverTheAWM

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📸 Images:

1. “Debbie” the Bushmaster after the explosion in 2012. Photograph by Stuart Moran. AWM2018.417.1.58

2. “Debbie” in the Australian War Memorial’s new War in Afghanistan 2001–2021 gallery.

forewarning im american (no i didnt vote for him, yes i think he's awful, yes im incredibly concerned and pissed about everything he's doing) nor am i in the navy, but lately ive been enjoying learning about navy life

i can find endless content about navy food for US sailors from across the fleet, but im curious about other countries and what they get for food, im just curious what kind of vessel do you serve on and what food do you get on a regular basis? is it the same or different then what would be served on a US ship?

Australia appears to be testing a new somewhat homegrown air defence system for our ground based air defence requirement, rather than purchasing a system from overseas. This totally took me by surprise, I didn’t think we could pull off something like this TBH. Very cool

The UK is going to start construction of their SSN AUKUS submarines next year, with an increased goal of up to 12 submarines in the fleet. This is even more evidence of AUKUS success for Australia as the UK submarine industrial base is clearly getting priority in investment.

As per the title guys, just curious if anyone knows what changes are coming? My understanding is that they were supposed to be announced on 01 July. I am just about to get a home loan and went with Commbank because they have the help to buy scheme. Would be very cool if the panel was expanded to cover them.

Hey brain trust. Pog here looking for fitness advice.

I’ve been doing the classic push, pull legs routine for a while now but just don’t think it’s practical for the job.

Does anyone have a fitness regime or routine that focuses on workouts that are actually beneficial for the job? Obviously I’m not going to be doing anything hardcore like a grunt would but I would like to start heading in that direction so I can still be a weapon in my career.

Any links to influencers or straight up routines would be appreciated.

Cheers all.

Thoughts?

Howdy, y'all!

Few months back, my friend and co-author Michael and I posted a free excerpt of our upcoming novel; and now, as promised, here's free copies of book two in the Dragon trilogy, TEETH OF THE DRAGON, the technothriller predicated on the premise that the United States is too busy fighting a war against algae to be bothered to stand up for its allies in the Pacific. This one covers the first week of the war, and will be followed by ASHES OF THE DRAGON, the final book in the Dragon trilogy, due out this December.

A few things: if you pre-ordered a copy of TEETH on Amazon, and you want to cancel it in favor of getting this one free, I won't begrudge you it! I couldn't have the book available anywhere before it went live, or I'd have already posted you a copy. Again, the feedback we've gotten from this forum is what made the book possible in the first place, so it's the least I can do. And if for some reason you don't have an E-Reader, Reddit DM me and I'll personally send you a PDF copy.

If you like the story & you'd be willing to leave a rating/review, we'd love it; lol, we got a small rush of folks who took offense at the way the current political situation in the United States is written about (big spoiler: I and the Australian fans who are leading chants in the World Cup feel similarly about politics here in the States) and left 1-star ratings (never reviews; they never want to admit their BS aloud). I only know this because they hunted up my email at the University I work at and messaged me threatening to "report" me to the current US administration. Tracks!

Standard disclaimer: this link'll email you a copy of the book, but I don't keep the emails, I don't even see the emails, it's just to watermark the copy of the book.

Here it is!: Download Teeth of the Dragon

By the way, I'm going to be in Melbourne from 23-27 SEP; I'm taking the fourth longest flight in the world, a fun 17h40m on Qantas, and then spending a few days in the ER and working with paramedics/paramedicine at Monash. Lodging was unexpectedly hard to get, there's some sort of sports (?) event going on? My buddy told me to make sure I root for St. Kilda; said they're the perennial favorite, apparently. I tried to look it up and figure it out what the whole to-do was about, but I read the phrase "clunk a checkside banana through the corridor of apprehension without getting chewy on ya boot" and decided it was actually probably nothing. I mean, it can't be a real sport if you don't have a break every two minutes for an Ozempic commercial anyway, amirite?

More seriously, and long story short, if you'll be around the CBD thenabouts, and want a beer on me, especially if you're one of the folks who lent your knowledge, lemme know.

Appreciate y'all a bunch; thanks for everything you do.