A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
The recent military coups in West Africa have severely impacted U.S. and French counterterrorism and intelligence operations in the region. Niger, a key ally in the fight against Islamist extremism, …
AFRICOM Scrambles To Sustain Intel Operations In West Africa Read More
In June, the Nigerian Army achieved a significant milestone by acquiring two UH-1H “Huey” helicopters, formally establishing its new Aviation Wing. This move is part of a broader strategy to …
Nigeria Expands Army Aviation Amid Regional Security Read More
A recent failed coup attempt in Bolivia has sparked outrage, concern and a conflict of narratives, as some observers doubt the origin of the uprising. Swirling allegations in a country …
Bolivia’s Controversial Coup Attempt Underscores Internal Tensions Read More
On June 1, 2024, the Netherlands made history, becoming the first country to officially assign its F-35A stealth fighters to the nuclear strike role, a significant milestone for NATO’s military …
Netherlands Enhances Nuclear Arsenal with F-35A: A New Era in NATO-Russia Tensions Read More
As tensions in the Taiwan Strait have escalated in recent years, Taiwan’s 2024 election loomed as a potential landmark event in cross-strait relations. Taiwanese voters took to the polls on …
Taiwanese Presidential Inauguration Sparks Milestone Chinese Military Exercise Read More
In January, the archipelago nation of Nauru severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of formal relations with China, reducing the number of countries recognizing Taipei’s sovereignty to eleven. Nauru’s …
Nauru’s Diplomatic Shift Signals Increasing Chinese Dominance in the Indo-Pacific Read More
The Black Sea nation of Georgia has been gripped in political turmoil over the past month, with protests drawing tens of thousands of people in a country of just 3.7 …
Protests Grow Over Georgian Foreign Agents Law Read More
Having secured a 5th presidential term in March, Russian President Vladimir Putin is now rolling out his new Cabinet. In accordance with Russian law, the old Cabinet resigned on May …
Putin Shakes Up Defense Ministry Leadership Read More
On May 8, 2024, CNN interviewed US President Joseph Biden, who confirmed that a shipment of weapons to Israel had been halted after his administration asserted that certain types of …
Strained US-Israel Ties Could Impact Defense Cooperation Read More
For decades the South China Sea has been the site of simmering disputes over ownership of the many small reefs, shoals and islands that dot the approximately 1.4 million sq-mi …
Philippine-Chinese Tensions Escalate Over Disputed Shoal Read More