More Arms Round Up - Strategic Bombers and Navy for Russia and United States

US Aircraft News

I have been following the development of the F-35 with interest for the past few years.  It represents a new way of building aircraft, but seems like it may be a model that is not sustainable, or feasible.  I didn't know the US was looking at creating a third generation strategic bomber, but that seems to be the case.  This article gives some details about the development and testing of this new aircraft.  It will be some time before it is ready for production - if it is chosen as an option.  LINK  LINK2

US most Advanced Fighters, the F-22 raptor, deployed (kind of) to Europe as a reassurance against more aggressive Russian maneuvers in Europe's airspace.  The problem with this power projection is the weakness that it represents because of the low numbers of aircraft in service. LINK

Russian Bombers and MiGs

Meanwhile, Russia's strategic bombers the TU-160 is being modernized.  LINK  With new avionics: LINK

Russia's new smart bombs to go on those updated bombers. LINK

Russian MiGs owned by Bulgaria to be repaired in Poland.  LINK

This is a fascinating look at dependence (my students will have read Kinsella (1998) and should know about dependence) and using an outside state to provide maintenance.  This can't be good for Russia's long-term arms sales.  I am wondering about the long-term implications for arms sales if the supplier is seen as being too pushy.  That's a take on things that I don't think I've seen in the literature before.

Don't call it a comeback!

Dear Spencer,

I have not been keeping up with this blog at all in the last few months.  I am involved in many projects and am still in the process of settling into my job at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan.  I would like to make this blog more of a part of my process of writing and thinking through issues that I am working on, but I am still thinking of ways that I can do that meaningfully.

My job is to write and to produce content. That content needs to be peer reviewed and validated by gatekeepers.  The kind of writing that I am doing here - or  not doing here- is unfiltered and unfettered. I think that there is value in the interaction of both types of writing.  If there are any regular readers of this blog (not even my wife or mother read this, so I don't have a lot of hope), which is unlikely since there is no regular writer on this blog, please be patient as I get back into the swing of things.

Topics that I will be posting on in the future:

• Pedagogy - I am especially interested in incorporating undergraduates into the research process.
• Technology - My personal computer is now running UBUNTU.  My academic writing is done in a text editor and LaTeX.  I am moving from Stata to R for my statistical analysis work.  There are a lot of changes for me on the technology front.
• A new research area I am interested in: Covert Action by states.
• More on military issues and arms sales.
• Some work on role theory and network analysis - a new book project (from an ongoing paper project with my dissertation adviser and mentor, Cameron Thies).
• Russia-Ukraine stuff.  Because I lived in Donetsk for two years, and this is a pretty big deal.

That's the plan for the future.  I am aiming to have one or two short posts a week with maybe a longer piece up once a month or so.  I may be ambitious and work to get my longer pieces linked to, or re-posted on some of the blogs of the cool kids.  Wouldn't that be something!

Best,

Spencer