Per Olsson

Swedish defence economist and researcher tweeting about... you guessed it, defence, economics and research!

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

Why does the phrase ”Lions led by donkeys” so frequently haunt me these days..?

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@LandsknechtPike Think its more a counterpoint to "daydream"... sure, one can fantasize about being in a 16th century siege, but even on the winning side its not a dream. The psychological terror, the stench, the damp, the disease, the hunger... I would fight, but not dream about it.

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@DD_Geopolitics Is this guy for real? If this is US news I can now absolutely understand Trump. Yes, Chinese dynasties rises and falls, but the country remains. An average dynasty lasts about 250 years, as long as the US has existed.

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@YourHistoryNerd @LandsknechtPike A quick googling and museum objects seem to show both back of armour and saddle. Agree that pike blocks should be more dense. You need to catch the formation off guard to charge a thin line (like at Kirkholm).

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@Fahadnaimb On face value, I agree that long experience gives the US an overall lead. But when people say "more frequent maintenance"... Ok, but what do you mean? 20 percent as often? Twice? Ten times? And how do you know?! I study the PLA and I havn't found their maintenance schedules yet!

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@Mind_Of_Machine @Diplomat_APAC Yeah, but after years of hiatus. From 11 in 2020 to 31 in 2026 (according to IISS, which might have missed one), plus the 055. Okay, so approx. 5 destroyers per year. Sometimes we see growth spurts, but I think the pace will moderate. Still far beyond all others!

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@Reuters How dare our main rival prepare for exact this moment!!!

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@stevehou I’m gonna save this and return to it in 6 months!

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@gyina_yie My vase!!!

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@Tracking_Live @BallerDezz Sounds like guesswork to me! I too find it crazy that they would have qualified pilots for all, but the sources I can find state that their pilots have good amount of flight hours so they’re learning.

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@Tracking_Live How do you get 120 annually with 3-4 per month? The 100-120 claim is from RUSI, IISS and Mitchell Institute. As credible as sources come, though not perfect.

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

Tidigare citerat IFRs rapport och måste rätta mig efter deras revision! Kina har inte lika hög robotäthet som man tidigare trott! Endast 166 jämfört med USAs 307, däremot är ökningstakten betydande.

[Amelia Michael @amelia__michael]

Update: looks like the IFR revised down their density numbers for China! They now match my estimate of around 166 robots / 10,000 manufacturing workers, placing China 22nd in global robot density. https://t.co/9jjda7kQN7

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@RasmusJarlov As an aspiring fantasy author, I salute you!

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@ForeignAffairs You really accept any types of idiots don’t you! No, China can’t project military power like the US, but there are other forms of power!

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@klara_sjo @pantry_bandit Interviews with showrunners make me glad they ended when they did. It was going to take a weird turn to Britannia where Caesarion was going to lead a rebellion… not something I wanted to see.

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@klara_sjo There are no preserved notations from Roman military songs. We have some lyrics, by Caesar’s legions roasting him, but no notes. Rome (2005) is accurate overall, and I love it, but I would call this music authentic (in spirit) rather than accurate.

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@olawong Blivit mer sofistikerade, även Trump i sweatshop fick bra spridning och var ganska underhållande.

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@SpencerGuard @ForeignPolicy I don’t think ”don’t get too close to China, we can bomb you” is a long-term or resource efficient strategy. May I suggest diplomacy and mutually beneficial deals, which traditionally has benfitted the US.

[Per Olsson @Olssonomics]

@tshugart3 Agree that the PLAN’s capability to do so is limited. However, the Ford’s design problems are well known and keeping a carrier at sea for 10 months is not ideal even for USN.