A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
France has agreed to procure an additional MQ-9 Reaper Block 5 unmanned aerial vehicle via the U.S. government-to-government Foreign Military Sales (FMS) channel. The $79.42 million contract, announced on June …
France Orders Additional Reaper Block 5 UAV Read More
The U.S. State Department has approved a Philippines government-to-government Foreign Military Sales (FMS) request for F-16 Block 70/72 combat aircraft, with notification of the proposal delivered to Congress on June …
Guns and Diplomacy: Philippines’ F-16 FMS Request Approved by U.S. Read More
A naval modernization package that will benefit both the German Navy and local industry received a boost on June 23 when the country’s parliamentary defense committee gave the green light …
A Boost for the German Navy as Parliamentary Defense Committee Green-Lights Several Projects Read More
Against a backdrop of Chinese military aircraft incursions into its airspace, the Malaysian Defense Ministry published a request for bids for the supply and delivery of new light combat aircraft …
Malaysia Releases Tender for Lead-In Light Fighter/Trainer Aircraft Read More
The latest U.K. defense review document – the Defence Command Paper titled “Defence in a Competitive Age” – was released to the public on March 22, to much commentary. Thoughts …
The U.K. Defence Command Paper in Review Read More
The long national awakening to a renewed threat presented by Russia has prompted Sweden’s political leadership to dip into its past to prepare for potential future conflict. The new preparations …
Sweden Looks to the Past to Prepare for Its Defense Future Read More In what may reasonably be described as a surprise, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a major investment package for the Ministry of Defence – marking the largest such …
British Government Announces Major Defense Spending Boost Read More
Just a few weeks before the U.S. presidential election, the Trump administration has cleared yet another billion-plus-dollar Foreign Military Sales package for Taiwan. The latest FMS package involves three sales …
Taiwan Cleared for $1.8 Billion Worth of FMS Purchases Read More
The German Defense Ministry has opted to scrap its current competition for a heavy transport helicopter intended to serve as a replacement for the Bundeswehr’s aging fleet of 1970s-legacy VFW-Sikorsky …
Citing Cost, Germany Abandons Its Heavy-Lift Helicopter Competition Read More
Faced with an increasingly confrontational situation with neighboring Turkey in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, Greece is embarking on an upgrade of the Hellenic Armed Forces a decade after the …
Greece Commits to Upgrading its Military Capabilities Read More