A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
On August 5, the Australian government announced its decision to adopt Japan’s upgraded Mogami-class frigate design to fulfill the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) requirement for a new class of six …
Silent Currents: The Strategic Significance of Australia’s Frigate Choice Read More
Japanese media revealed on July 6 that Japan plans to transfer its Abukuma-class destroyer escorts to the Philippines, potentially marking the first such export in modern Japanese history. Media reports …
Japan Closes In On First Major Warship Export Read More
A fragile ceasefire appears to be holding between Iran and Israel following a period of escalating violence, culminating in a covert U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. In the days …
Tentative Ceasefire Takes Hold Following Iran’s Retaliatory Strikes Read More
Just over a week after Israel began Operation Rising Lion, a major air campaign against Iran, the U.S. carried out its own series of strikes on Iran on Saturday night, …
Operation Midnight Hammer: U.S. Strikes Iranian Nuclear Sites Read More
Global defense spending surged by 8.1% in 2024, reaching an unprecedented $2.3 trillion as governments worldwide respond to a rapidly evolving security landscape. From Eastern Europe to the Indo-Pacific, nations …
A New Era of Global Defense Spending: Key Trends and What’s Ahead Read More
Canada plans to meet NATO’s goal of spending two percent of GDP on defense this year, seven years earlier than planned, Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a speech Monday. …
Canada Plans to Hit NATO Defense Spending Target Early, Shift Focus from U.S. Read More
On Monday, June 2, the British government released a new Strategic Defence Review (SDR), the first such review implemented by a Labor government since 1998. It arrives at a time …
Transformative or Mirage? Examining the U.K. Strategic Defense Review Read More
Ukraine’s intelligence services conducted an unprecedented attack over the weekend on the Russian Aerospace Forces, striking dozens of parked Russian strategic bombers with first-person view (FPV) drones launched from modified …
Ukraine Strikes Russian Bomber Fleet in Elaborate Drone Plot Read More
Earlier this month, news broke that a trio of South Korean companies had teamed to make an ambitious offer to the Canadian armed forces. The deal: CAN20 to 24 billion …
South Korea Pitches $18 Billion Submarine & Arms Deal to Canada Amid US Tensions Read More
After months of tense wrangling, the U.S. and Ukraine formally signed a natural resource development agreement on April 30, establishing plans for a future partnership that will help Ukraine with …
Minerals and the War Read More