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
Australia’s Department of Defense announced this week that, after a close race, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) had emerged victorious in its bid to fill the country’s General Purpose Frigate (GPF) …
Mitsubishi Wins Landmark Deal to Supply Mogami Frigates to Australia Read More
Canada has announced plans to purchase a new Arctic over-the-horizon radar (A-OTHR) system from BAE Systems Australia for more than CAD 6 billion ($4 billion). The system, known as the …
Canada Buying $4 Billion Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar from Australia Read More
As naval competition picks up in the Indo-Pacific, Australia has launched several initiatives to modernize and expand the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)’s maritime capacities. Complementing the oft-covered trilateral AUKUS deal …
The General Purpose Frigate: An Opportunity for Japan and Australia Read More
Aware of the increasing stresses to its strategic environment, Australia is moving forward with its largest shipbuilding investment since the Second World War. The aim is to replenish and expand …
Australia’s Ambitious Warship Building Plan Raises Questions 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
Earlier this month, Ocius Technology delivered the fifth and final Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessel (USV) ordered by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Ocius, a public unlisted company working out of the University …
Australia Steps Up Ocean Surveillance with USVs 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
In what has been described by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as the “biggest single investment in Australia’s defense capability in all our history,” Albanese and his counterparts from the …
AUKUS Nuclear Submarine Details Come to Light Read More
Early in November 2022, the U.S. State Department approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the government of Australia of 24 C-130J aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost …
A Leading Electronic Warfare Technology Enhances a Proposed C-130 Sale to Australia Read More