A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
The Swedish government has put forth a budget bill for fiscal year 2024 (FY24) that will drive defense spending up by 30 percent year-on-year and push the country towards the …
Eying NATO Membership, Swedish Government Proposes Defense Spending Hike Read More
The Polish draft budget for FY24 released by the Ministry of Finance indicates a sharp year-on-year increase for the country’s defense budget. The proposed earmark reflects a rise from the …
Poland Proposes Double-Digit 2024 Budgetary Increase for Defense Read More
Overnight on June 23 of this year, Wagner Group commander Yevgeny Prigozhin played his hand, launching a mutiny against the Russian Ministry of Defense after months of bickering with its …
Putin Owns the Cards Read More
BOAC Mosquito in 1943. Image – BAE SystemsThose with a keen interest in World War Two might have read about Swedish ball-bearing production during the conflict. Surprisingly, Swedish ball bearings …
Sweden and Those Ball Bearings Read More
In June, after months of speculation, Kyiv launched its much-awaited counter-offensive against the Russian military, aiming to break the impasse that settled over the conflict through the winter and spring …
Russian Wartime Defense Spending Balloons Read More
Imagery of Near-Complete Chinese Military Naval Station in Cambodia. Image – Black Sky On July 24, BlackSky Technology, Herndon, Virginia, published a series of satellite images showing the rapid development …
China Extends Its Grasp Read More
Let’s take a roundabout journey. Trust me, I do have a point. Sadly, in this world nothing lasts forever: Saturday morning cartoons, American Bandstand, Tab soda (OK, in the latter …
Commentary: Nothing Lasts Forever . . . Read More
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has requested a review of a 2017 defense treaty with Australia, months after finalizing a security pact with China that permits Chinese troops to deploy to …
Tug Of War In The Pacific Read More
Weapons sales have long been a part of security partnerships around the world. The closer the relationship, the more advanced and complex the equipment that can be shared. Sellers may …
China, U.S. Seek to Strengthen Influence through Sub Deals Read More
By Dan Darling, Derek Bisaccio and Aja Melville The war between Russia and Ukraine, initiated by Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 and subsequent invasion in February 2022, has had …
China Seizes Arms Exporting Opportunity in the Middle East Read More