Kelsey Atherton

Albuquerque

Founder and Writer at Wars of Future Past

Chief Editor at Center for International Policy

War, robots, & bad futures, but imagining better. EIC @CIPolicyJournal, opinions my own. Unitarian Universalist. He/him. Husband to @alymaybe, new father.

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Articles

Whiskey for Troops™️

Nov 11, 2024 | fingers.email | Kelsey Atherton

Editor’s note: This special joint post from Fingers x Wars of Future Past was originally published Veterans Day 2023, but I think it still holds up.—Dave. If Grunt Style and Black Rifle Coffee Co. opened a distillery, what would it make? Unfortunately, we don’t have to speculate, because this Veterans Day, the militarization of brown liquor is fully upon us. This edition of Fingers is a collaboration with , a longtime military-technology journalist and publisher of the independent newsletter .
The sinister politics of pouring beers for dead troops

Sep 4, 2024 | fingers.email | Dave Infante |Kelsey Atherton

Editor’s note: Apropos of Donald Trump’s grim use of American soldiers’ gravesites as props for a campaign ad late last month, and this excellent column by Jonathan M.
Marine Corps tightens rules on personal cellphone use in training

May 7, 2024 | c4isrnet.com | Irene Loewenson |Kelsey Atherton

The Marine Corps has banned Marines from using personal cellphones and other devices during training exercises, armed duty, high-risk training and aviation operations. Previous guidance on personal portable electronic devices — a category that includes cellphones, laptops, tablets, smart watches, portable gaming systems, digital cameras and Bluetooth headphones — had given unit commanders more leeway to set their own policies. But a Marine Corps order dated March 26, signed by Commandant Gen.
Project Maven Coverage - Breaking Defense

Apr 24, 2024 | breakingdefense.com | Jaspreet Gill |Theresa Hitchens |Brad D. Williams |Kelsey Atherton

Defense industry news, analysis and commentary Featured: TechNet Augusta 2024 » 2025 Budget » Indo-Pacific » Evolved from JAIC’s controversial Project Maven, Palantir’s Maven Smart System pulls together data from satellites, social media and other disparate sources for military commanders and planners. Breaking Defense reporting about what the Defense Department wants out of its next generation cloud capability, DIA artificial intelligence strategy, NGA’s Project Maven updates and more can be...
Substackers Against Nazis

Dec 14, 2023 | athertonkd.substack.com | Kelsey Atherton

Hi readers—Below is a letter to the Substack founders that I helped draft as part of a group of publishers seeking answers to questions about the platforming and monetizing of Nazis. We are all publishing the letter on our own individual Substacks today for visibility, and to make our readers aware of our asks and concerns. Thanks for reading. Dear Chris, Hamish & Jairaj:We’re asking a very simple question that has somehow been made complicated: Why are you platforming and monetizing Nazis?
Substackers Against Nazis

Dec 13, 2023 | discourseblog.com | Kelsey Atherton

Hi readers—Below is a letter to the Substack founders that I helped draft as part of a group of publishers seeking answers to questions about the platforming and monetizing of Nazis. We are all publishing the letter on our own individual Substacks today for visibility, and to make our readers aware of our asks and concerns. Thanks for reading. Dear Chris, Hamish & Jairaj:We’re asking a very simple question that has somehow been made complicated: Why are you platforming and monetizing Nazis?
Elon Musk's antisemitism is a national security risk

Nov 17, 2023 | msnbc.com | Kelsey Atherton

On Oct. 31, the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command announced that of its 21 launches planned for fiscal year 2024, Elon Musk's SpaceX would deliver 10 of them for a total of $1.23 billion. SpaceX's launches will include the orbital delivery of GPS satellites, spy satellites and a new infrared system to provide early warning of ballistic missile launches. Just over two weeks later, on Nov.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Nov 10, 2023 | athertonkd.substack.com | Kelsey Atherton |Dave Infante

This newsletter is a collaboration with of the excellent Fingers, which is a great read on the culture and industry of modern alcohol. I’ve got a little bit of a career update at the end, but before I get to that, I’ll let Dave take it away with why we’re talking about grunts and grain alcohol. If Grunt Style and Black Rifle Coffee Co. opened a distillery, what would it make? Unfortunately, we don’t have to speculate, because this Veterans Day, the militarization of brown liquor is fully upon us.
Watch a Japanese research ship fire an electromagnetic railgun

Nov 1, 2023 | popsci.com | Kelsey Atherton

On October 17, Japan’s military announced it had successfully test-fired a railgun on board a ship. The test was conducted by the Acquisition Technology and Logistics Agency, Japan’s rough DARPA analog, and it was carried out in conjunction with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The railgun is framed specifically as a protective measure: by firing high-speed bullets, the railgun is designed to stop incoming attacks through the air or on the sea.
How an underground explosion in Nevada will help the US detect nuclear tests

Oct 27, 2023 | popsci.com | Kelsey Atherton

On October 18, beneath the Nevada desert, the National Nuclear Security Administration intentionally set off a non-nuclear explosion. The US Geological Survey registered its magnitude at 1.7, precisely recording the detonation at 8:15 am and 59 seconds. It has been over three decades since the United States has detonated a nuclear weapon in testing, but the ability to detect such tests, especially underground, informs and guides US responses to other tests.