French Navy – James F. Dunnigan reviews the operational problems of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

• StrategyPage: How NOT to Build an Aircraft Carrier

Background – Weapons of Mass Destruction – A previously unthought of form of WMD: a dirty radiological bomb mounted on top of a weather rocket that has a range of several miles. Where can you buy this? In the tiny sepratist enclave of Transdniester which broke off from Moldova.

• Washington Post: Dirty Bomb Warheads Disappear

Background – Missile Defense – A balanced look at the state of the US anti-ballistic missile system, and the Navy’s role in it.

• The Economist: An American dream