# Black Cloud Six: Unscripted Defence, international politics, Canadian issues and the occasional rant! Page: Feed: --- ## [So Much for the Sabbatical](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/so-much-for-the-sabbatical) _2026-07-15 · Black Cloud Six_ Canada chooses submarines, buys long-range missiles, expands its NATO role, and generally ruins my summer break. ## [When There's Nothing New to Say](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/when-theres-nothing-new-to-say) _2026-06-29 · Black Cloud Six_ Sometimes the best decision is not to force another article ## [The Defence Fantasy of Alberta Separatism](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/the-defence-fantasy-of-alberta-separatism) _2026-05-27 · Black Cloud Six_ Before we start, I should make something perfectly clear. ## [The American Way of War Is Failing Again](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/the-american-way-of-war-is-failing) _2026-05-05 · Black Cloud Six_ The war with Iran is not an aberration. It is the latest demonstration of a military culture built on logistics, firepower, airpower, and hubris. ## [A Military Built for the American Relationship](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/a-military-built-for-the-american) _2026-04-21 · Black Cloud Six_ Canada’s military culture reflects decades of deliberate political choices, not some hidden loyalty to Washington. ## [Consequences: Trump’s War of Choice](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/consequences-trumps-war-of-choice) _2026-03-18 · Black Cloud Six_ In Iran, American military power has been paired with strategic incoherence, allied alienation, and consequences that were entirely foreseeable. ## [Selection and Maintenance of the Aim](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/selection-and-maintenance-of-the) _2026-03-03 · Black Cloud Six_ Trump’s War Against Iran Has Neither ## [Watch and Shoot](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/watch-and-shoot) _2026-02-23 · Black Cloud Six_ A return after a pause — and a look at Iran, Canada’s defence strategy, and a changing North American relationship. ## [This Is What Betrayal Looks Like](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/this-is-what-betrayal-looks-like) _2026-01-24 · Black Cloud Six_ A Canadian officer reflects on Afghanistan, the Allied burden, and Trump's deliberate rewriting of history. ## [Greenland and the Danger of Treating Trump as Rational](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/greenland-and-the-danger-of-treating) _2026-01-12 · Black Cloud Six_ Power, ego, and dominance now drive US foreign policy ## [8.1% APY Plus Free Stock (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/2uoiidBkVCFh) _2026-01-12 · **Sponsored**_ Claim 8.1% APY and up to $1,030 in SK hynix and Nvidia stock. ## [America Crosses the Line in Venezuela](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/america-crosses-the-line-in-venezuela) _2026-01-03 · Black Cloud Six_ For months, the Trump administration has been threatening military action against Venezuela and against the Maduro regime in Caracas. ## [The F-35 Saga: Bright Idea Time](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/the-f-35-saga-bright-idea-time) _2025-12-03 · Black Cloud Six_ I didn’t plan on writing another fighter-jet piece… but here we are. ## [Shiny Jets, New Subs, and Old Problems](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/shiny-jets-new-subs-and-old-problems) _2025-11-18 · Black Cloud Six_ Canada’s defence excitement doesn’t fix the fundamentals. ## [Shooting at Shadows: America’s Manufactured War in the Caribbean](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/shooting-at-shadows-americas-manufactured) _2025-10-31 · Black Cloud Six_ Hollywood Foreign Policy ## [Trump's Gaza Peace Plan: More Than Meets the Eye?](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/trumps-gaza-peace-plan-more-than) _2025-10-16 · Black Cloud Six_ I rarely comment on the Middle East. ## [Trump, Russia, and the End of Business as Usual in NATO](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/trump-russia-and-the-end-of-business) _2025-09-26 · Black Cloud Six_ The United States is not a rational international actor and cannot be trusted to honour international agreements or to act in concert with like-minded nations towards common goals. ## [Time for a Hard Reset: Reforming the Canadian Army Reserve](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/time-for-a-hard-reset-reforming-the) _2025-09-12 · Black Cloud Six_ Note: I’ve been away from the laptop for a bit because of the chaos surrounding the start of school. ## [Back from Europe: Reflections on Canada’s Pivot Away From the US](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/back-from-europe-reflections-on-canadas) _2025-08-26 · Black Cloud Six_ Well, I’m back after a fairly long sojourn on holiday. ## [Canada Doesn’t Need Warriors—It Needs Soldiers](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/canada-doesnt-need-warriorsit-needs) _2025-07-15 · Black Cloud Six_ Why Soldiering Demands Ethics, Discipline, and Canadian Values ## [Marketplace for AI-Powered Professionals (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/WAJNpmEiB2dF) _2025-07-15 · **Sponsored**_ Find professionals who use ChatGPT, Copilot, and Claude to deliver work faster. ## [Canada and NATO’s Defence Spending Challenge](https://blackcloudsix.substack.com/p/canada-and-natos-defence-spending) _2025-06-25 · Black Cloud Six_ Why NATO’s 5% Target Isn’t What It Seems—and What It Means for Canada