A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
In a break from tradition, Congress passed a full-year continuing resolution (CR) to fund the Department of Defense for Fiscal Year 2025, a move that provides new-start authority but hinders …
Congress Scales Back Ambitions in Final FY25 Defense Deal Read More
The U.S. Army is seeking industry input for a next-generation autonomous breaching vehicle that could reduce risk to troops in warzones. The service recently released a Request for Information (RFI) …
U.S. Army Eyes New Autonomous Breaching Vehicle with ‘BaDGER’ Program Read More
As the Trump administration intensifies its efforts to reshape the global economic landscape through tariffs and the creation of alternative supply chains, a critical vulnerability within the U.S. defense industry …
Tariffs and Retaliation: Exposing the U.S. Defense Industry’s Rare Earth Weakness Read More
The British Army, in collaboration with Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), and Thales UK, has completed a series of trials of the RapidDestroyer …
Thales RapidDestroyer Demonstrator Neutralizes Drone Swarms in British Army Trials Read More
Although it might be too early to know exactly what effect the “Tariff Wars” will have on military technology in general, it is fairly certain that the “Drone Wars” will …
U.S. Marine Corps Emerging as Major Player in DoD’s Billion Dollar Counter-Drone Effort Read More
In a pivotal step for European defense modernization, four major defense companies—KNDS Deutschland, KNDS France, Rheinmetall Landsysteme, and Thales—have formally established the MGCS Project Company GmbH (MPC). The new entity, …
MGCS Project Company GmbH Officially Launched by KNDS, Rheinmetall, and Thales Read More
In aerospace defense circles, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has seized an outsized role in worldwide debate since the Trump administration took office, becoming a flashpoint topic for international …
Tariffs, Trust, and the F-35: Can Global Volatility Upend the JSF? Read More
As of March 2025, the United States remains the world’s largest arms exporter, accounting for 43% of global arms exports. But even as demand for American-made defense equipment surges amid …
Trump Tariffs Hammer U.S. Artillery Market Despite Export Dominance Read More
Since the reimposition of 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum by President Donald Trump in early 2025, the U.S. shipbuilding industry has found itself at a critical juncture. Originally …
Ripple Effects: Steel Tariffs and U.S. Naval Shipbuilding Read More
At a press event on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump hinted at a defense budget request “in the vicinity” of $1 trillion for Fiscal Year …
Trump Teases $1 Trillion Defense Budget—But What Does That Actually Mean? Read More