A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
What Is the New Strategy? On January 9th, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released its Artificial Intelligence Acceleration Strategy. The Strategy promotes a familiar outcome: for the U.S. military …
The U.S. DoD’s AI Acceleration Strategy Read More
PLA Rocket Force units participating in a parade for the PRC’s 70th anniversary in Beijing. Source – People’s Republic of China As China enters its 15th Five‑Year Plan (2026–2030), Beijing …
Analysis of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Its Expected Impact on China’s Military Modernization Read More
In end-of-year contract action, the Pentagon announced on December 29 an $8.58 billion award to Boeing to build 25 new F-15IA aircraft for Israel. The ten-year Foreign Military Sale …
Israeli Order for F-15IAs Underscores Eagle II’s Potential Read More
After over a decade of rule characterized by pervasive economic and political tumult that generated an exodus of millions of citizens and the country’s deepening diplomatic isolation, on January 3rd …
Venezuela: The Day After Read More
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has officially activated Task Force Scorpion Strike (TFSS), the military’s first dedicated one-way kamikaze drone squadron in the Middle East. This milestone was punctuated on December …
LUCAS: Scaling the Drone War Read More
The Announcement On December 19, 2025, the U.S. Navy announced its plan to introduce a new class of small surface combatant ships, the FF(X), as a critical component of the …
New Frigate on the Horizon: U.S. Navy Ditches Constellation-class for National Security Cutter Design Read More
It is not uncommon today to find warnings about the looming impacts of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry downturn. A recent feature in Project Syndicate, for example, brought together scholars …
Is Dual-Use Tech Entering a High(er) Risk Period? Outlook for the Year Ahead Read More Today, we provide a brief overview of how the recent government shutdown impacted the Pentagon and its funding plans. Forecast International’s U.S. Defense Market analyst Shaun McDougall unpacks the …
How the Government Shutdown Impacts the Pentagon’s Budget Read More
Recent months have produced a blur of activity in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) market segment, most notably with developments related to the Air Force’s CCA or drone loyal wingman …
U.S. CCAs: Breaking Down the Field Read More
As Russia slogs along with its largely stalemated invasion of Ukraine, leaning on additional help in the form of drones and munitions from sources such as Iran and North Korea …
The Bottom of the Barrel: Russia and China’s Battle for the Lower-Tier Defense Export Market Read More