Rudy Ruitenberg

Helemaal waar, een top-tier radar van Thales op de Evertsen inderdaad, net gemoderniseerd.

In ongoing series of European navies deploying with non-functioning weapons: 127 mm gun on the Evertsen reportedly not working since 2023 (!). @koninklijkemarine.bsky.social spox tells @ad.nl the cannon is not needed for the air defense mission. The French might disagree based on Red Sea experience.

Tsja, de Fransen zijn in de Rode Zee het kanon gaan gebruiken tegen drones, met airburst munitie, zodat ze geen dure raketten hoeven af te voeren. Wel handig voor een luchtverdedigingsfregat dus. Maar het AD suggereert dat dit al sinds 2023 bekend is? Als dit al zo lang duurt is dat niet geweldig.

France’s Mediterranean armada signals clout as Middle East may rethink alliances The massive deployment of warships comes as some Middle Eastern nations are expected to reevaluate their alliances in a post-Iran war world, analysts said.

Can #France benefit from a rethink of alliances in the Middle East, post-Iran war? Few if any Europeans would be able to deploy the naval package the French sent to the Eastern Med.

France’s Mediterranean armada signals clout as Middle East may rethink alliances www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

France has an estimated 400,000 citizens in the region, plus troops and military assets that have come under fire.

@dassaultaviation.bsky.social CEO Éric Trappier presents the state of the SCAF/FCAS program, as part of the annual earnings press conference.

France sends aircraft carrier to Mediterranean as Middle East flares up France is also working on a coalition to pool assets, including military, that will allow shipping traffic to resume through key chokepoints in the region.

With some delay, #France rerouting the Charles de Gaulle strike group to the Med. And Macron plans to put together a coalition to keep shipping lanes open, à la the Red Sea. Could get sticky.

France sends aircraft carrier to Mediterranean as Middle East flares up www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

‪Amusing to see how French commentators who have studied French #nuclear doctrine have wildly different expectations of what Macron might say in his Monday speech compared to some European pundits. The vibe from local experts appears to be not to expect fireworks. We’ll find out March 2 3:30pm!

The good, the bad and the ugly — Inside Europe’s race to supplant US defense enablers Defending Europe against a Russian attack without U.S. help will stay tricky for the foreseeable future, as some areas are progressing faster than others.

With the talk of a European pillar of NATO, strategic autonomy, burden sharing, how long would Europe need to stand alone in 10 key #defense enablers? Here's what experts say:

The good, the bad and the ugly — Inside Europe’s race to supplant US defense enablers www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

Ravens have a ferocious bill, so be careful. They are hardy against cold. If lethargic as you approach, maybe contact nearest wildlife rescue? If not an option: approach from behind, drape in small towel, secure wings against body, let recover in ventilated cardboard box with some water - avoid heat

With nukes in mind, French officials stake out must-haves for Franco-German warplane The futuristic weapons program is turning into something of a test case on Europe's ability to execute a common defense vision.

I know you know this, but obviously the French requirements for carrier- and nuke-capable have been articulated from the very beginning. Seems more a convenient argument for the under-informed, if Merz is discovering this only now it would be, well… not v serious? www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

The irony of the situation of course that just as Europe finds itself longing for strategic autonomy, France's financial situation is weighing on its ability to step up defense spending and thus eroding its influence on the direction of defense in Europe.

The political effects of X's feed algorithm https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10098-2 Received: 16 December 2024 Accepted: 4 January 2026 Published online: 18 February 2026 Open access • Check for updates Germain Gauthier,5, Roland Hodler?5, Philine Widmer35 & Ekaterina Zhuravskaya3,4,5 m Feed algorithms are widely suspected to influence political attitudes. However, previous evidence from switching off the algorithm on Meta platforms found no political effects'. Here we present results from a 2023 field experiment on Elon Musk's platform X shedding light on this puzzle. We assigned active US-based users randomly to either an algorithmic or a chronological feed for 7 weeks, measuring political attitudes and online behaviour. Switching from a chronological to an algorithmic feed increased engagement and shifted political opinion towards more conservative positions, particularly regarding policy priorities, perceptions of criminal investigations into Donald Trump and views on the war in Ukraine. In contrast, switching from the algorithmic to the chronological feed had no comparable effects. Neither switching the algorithm on nor switching it off significantly affected affective polarization or self-reported partisanship. To investigate the mechanism, we analysed users' feed content and behaviour. We found that the algorithm promotes conservative content and demotes posts by traditional media. Exposure to algorithmic content leads users to follow conservative political activist accounts, which they continue to follow even after switching off the algorithm, helping explain the asymmetry in effects. These results suggest that initial exposure to X's algorithm has persistent effects on users' current political attitudes and account-following behaviour, even in the absence of a detectable effect on partisanship.

A new paper shows that less than 2 months of exposure to Twitter’s algorithmic feed significantly shifts people’s political views to the right.

Moving from chronological feed to the algorithmic feed also increases engagement.

This is one of the most concerning papers I’ve read in awhile.

Pentagon official blesses Europe’s push to spend defense money at home “Otherwise people in Germany or Poland or whatever are going to say: ‘Why are we only sending money across the Atlantic?’” said the Pentagon policy chief.

Don't think Elbridge Colby's general tone ("Europe, step up") surprised anyone in Brussels/Munich but also made clear the Pentagon understands this means more buying European.

Pentagon official blesses Europe’s push to spend defense money at home www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

Ischinger spoke of "a message of reassurance" but Rubio certainly didn't sound moderate to these European ears, with his language of "climate cult" "the West's managed decline" "purported sins of past generations" and "forces of civilization erasure."

La trajectoire d'une tête nucléaire océanique YouTube video by CEA

Interesting nuclear signaling by #France in today's context, a slick information video on submarine-launched strategic missile reentry and a happy narrator explaining how the nuclear warhead makes its way to a target near you. Not the @cea.fr's usual educational fare. www.youtube.com/watch?v=G20o...

Agenda und Livestreams der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz 2026 Verfolgen Sie die Diskussionen der MSC 2026 live und erkunden Sie das Programm!

On the MSC website and switch to German. securityconference.org/msc-2026/age...

Shocking drop in #France #agriculture trade surplus to the lowest since the late 1970s. Quite a reversal for a country long considered one of Europe's farming giants. Expensive imports of #cocoa #coffee #chocolate and growing deficits in #beef #poultry

agreste.agriculture.gouv.fr/agreste-web/...

Ha. While true, the same can be said about climate change, clean energy, science-based medicine, trust in journalism, democratic elections, what have you. Different crowds.

NATO kicks off ‘Arctic Sentry’ operation following Greenland brouhaha The mission will tie together various allied activities in the region, according to NATO officials.

There it is: the NATO operation in the #Arctic to ward of a threat that doesn't necessarily exist yet, or at least, perhaps not in the way it was previously understood by the alliance!

NATO kicks off ‘Arctic Sentry’ operation following Greenland brouhaha www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

Estonian spies believe Europe’s collective deterrence push is working Russia’s military-industrial complex, even if strained by sanctions, has continued to grow significantly, the Estonian intelligence assessment notes.

Good news, I guess?

Estonian spies believe Europe’s collective deterrence push is working www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

He's been calling for this for about a month now, since his speech in Sweden, I'm not seeing a lot of governments bite yet.

German startup aims to deliver European hypersonic strike by 2029 Hypersonica says it uses military-grade components from suppliers, as the company notched a successful test flight in Norway.

Hypersonica, a defense startup working on European hypersonic strike, eyes a very aggressive development pace in an area previously the domain of much secrecy and decades-long development programs.

German startup aims to deliver European hypersonic strike by 2029 www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

US, European navies push Lego-like modularity to boost ships’ combat punch Containerized forces packages, when executed well, are a flexible way to bring new capabilities to sea quickly, service chiefs said in Paris.

The future of #naval combatants is plug-and-play modularity, navy chiefs say: mission flexibility, at-sea replenishment, upgradeability, and a way to quickly get fire power on the water.

US, European navies push Lego-like modularity to boost ships’ combat punch www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

Norway picks Hanwha to supply rocket artillery in $2 billion deal None of the other commercial bidders could deliver a comparable range, Norway said.

Norway picks Hanwha for long-range strike, notes security of supply from Poland missile production, an argument for other prospects: Sweden, France (?). No true European sovereign solution for now.

Norway picks Hanwha to supply rocket artillery in $2 billion deal www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

Suggests AI detection and target acquisition is rather widespread? Logical explanation would be to trick AI, as it obviously wouldn't fool a human operator. Similar to Paul Scharre's 2023 anecdote of US marines disguising themselves by putting a cardboard box on their heads to avoid AI detection.

@eib.org Pres. @nadiacalvino.eib.org annual presser: almost 60% of 2025 financing to green projects. 'Political rhetoric may shift, but business case is clear.' EIB analysis shows Europe saves money w/ every new wind turbine, solar panel; up to 40% cheaper to operate than existing fossil-fuel plants

This is the EDA conference? Supposedly live via the EBS, but I haven't been able to find it. Clips of the speeches by Kallas, Kubilius and Denk posted though.

Ukraine says more than 80% of enemy targets now destroyed by drones One Ukrainian innovation has been a system to verify drone strikes that awards points to successful operators, with an online marketplace for bonus kit.

Quite the statistic from #Ukraine. Also notable, 32k drone-on-drone strikes, so air-to-air engagements. And gamification of warfare apparently working, as it's being expanded to air defense.

Ukraine says more than 80% of enemy targets now destroyed by drones www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

NATO’s Rutte says Europe can’t defend itself without US; France balks The NATO chief prompted pushback from France, the European Union’s only nuclear power, as analysts call for a distinct European pillar within the alliance.

One can appreciate Rutte's tricky role in having to keep the #NATO alliance together, but his dismissal of Europe being able to defend itself without the U.S. did feel excessively enthusiastic.

NATO’s Rutte says Europe can’t defend itself without US; France balks www.defensenews.com/global/europ...