A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
Throughout this past year, Dassault and Airbus have been locked in an increasingly public battle over the direction of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a program to deliver a …
New Year Bringing Big Changes to FCAS Fighter Program Read More
Europe’s artillery heavyweights are lining up for Italy’s next big land-forces upgrade, and KNDS and Leonardo want to be at the front of the queue. The Franco-German group KNDS and …
KNDS and Leonardo Set Aside Rivalry to Capture Italy’s Heavy Firepower Market Read More
KNDS will establish a new assembly plant in Kaunas, Lithuania, marking a significant expansion of Leopard 2A8 main battle tank production within Europe. Under an agreement signed with the Lithuanian …
NATO’s Eastern Flank Gets Industrial Boost with Local Leopard 2 Assembly 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
Hot on the heels of Ukraine’s negotiations for the Saab Gripen fighter jet, Kyiv has now inked a letter of intent with France that could see the eastern European country …
Ukraine, France Announce Rafale LOI Read More
Leaders of the 27 European Union (EU) nations have coalesced around the Defense Readiness Roadmap 2030, a plan to achieve a state of military-security readiness and strategic autonomy by the …
The EU’s Defense Readiness Roadmap: Ambition, Conflict, and the Path to 2030 Read More
Soon after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the U.S. and E.U. moved to freeze Russia’s access to its central bank reserves held in their financial systems, …
E.U. Eyes Frozen Russian Funds for Ukraine Read More
The U.S. remains locked in a strategic race to secure and diversify its Rare Earth Element (REE) supply chain, a critical national security vulnerability exposed by global dependencies. These 17 …
Washington Goes Shopping: Investing Its Way Out of the Rare Earth Crisis Read More
On September 3, China’s President Xi Jinping hosted a group of foreign leaders attending the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Victory Day parade in Beijing. The event featured the largest military …
Spectacle or Substance? Decoding Xi’s September 3 Military Extravaganza Read More
As many as 19 Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace in the early morning hours on September 10, prompting Poland to scramble F-16s to react to the breach. Working together …
Poland, NATO Allies Shoot Down Russian Drones Violating Airspace Read More