A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
The past few weeks have yielded a burst of updates on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, one of the U.S. Air Force’s fastest-moving and high-profile defense initiatives. Since …
AI Pilots, Names, Missiles, and Engines: The Air Force Ups the Pace on Wingman Drones Read More
Context Operation Epic Fury began at 01:15 Eastern time on February 28th, 2026. In the first 24 hours of strikes on Iran, American B-2 bombers, stealth fighter jets, reconnaissance aircraft, …
The Naval Targets – and Implications – of Operation Epic Fury Read More
U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have triggered a high-intensity conflict that will test munitions inventories and production lines. In the initial days of the operation against Iran, the U.S. …
War with Iran Puts Pressure on Munitions Inventories and Signals Future Demand Read More
The FY26 defense appropriations bill signed into law earlier this month included a significant injection of new resources from Congress to support a mix of core capabilities and advanced technology …
Analyzing the Final FY26 Defense Appropriations Bill Read More
Boeing has commissioned a new 9,000 square foot production line at its satellite manufacturing facility in El Segundo to accelerate the delivery of advanced missile-defense sensors. This expansion provides the …
Defense Sector Begins Scaling Infrastructure for Golden Dome Missile Shield Read More
Chinese Project 093B (Shang III) Submarines – Source: Chinese Government Media Last week, the U.K.’s International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank issued a landmark report concluding that between …
Production and Power: China Outpaces U.S. in Nuclear Submarine Construction Read More
The U.S. Army recently tested the AH-64 attack helicopter’s 30mm cannon against unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) using a new proximity fuze ammunition, which allows the round to detonate near the …
U.S. Army Tests Drone Killing Capability of Apache’s 30mm Gun Read More
Illustration of the PAC-3 MSE interceptor. Source: Lockheed Martin The U.S. is significantly expanding production of missile systems, including PAC-3 MSE, Tomahawk, Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), SM-3, and SM-6, …
Accelerating U.S. Missile Development and Naval Posture in the Indo-Pacific Read More
Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s combined fourth-quarter reports indicate a banner year for fighter aircraft deliveries, but a deeper look reveals important context and program-specific headwinds from 2025. Overall, the only …
American Fighter Primes in Review: A Breakdown of Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s 2025 Jet Deliveries Read More
Source: Ukraine MoD/21st Mechanized Brigade On February 3rd, the Pentagon announced the 25 vendors invited to participate in Phase I of the Drone Dominance Program (DDP). By injecting $1.1 billion …
Could the Army’s “Gauntlet” for Cheap Combat Drones Rewrite the Defense Acquisition Playbook? Read More