A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
In January, the archipelago nation of Nauru severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of formal relations with China, reducing the number of countries recognizing Taipei’s sovereignty to eleven. Nauru’s …
Nauru’s Diplomatic Shift Signals Increasing Chinese Dominance in the Indo-Pacific Read More
China’s aircraft carrier program was already lagging due to an economic slowdown when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Technical issues with the design of the next group of carriers only exacerbated …
China’s Aircraft Carrier Program to Take Battle Beyond Its Shores Read More
For decades the South China Sea has been the site of simmering disputes over ownership of the many small reefs, shoals and islands that dot the approximately 1.4 million sq-mi …
Philippine-Chinese Tensions Escalate Over Disputed Shoal Read More
While the geopolitical focus of Washington policymakers currently appears firmly directed towards Ukraine and Gaza, the recent meeting between the leaders of Japan and the U.S. reinforced a growing security …
Joint Leader Statement Underlines Tighter U.S.-Japan Embrace Read More
The Project 022 Houbei class fast attack craft-missile (FAC-M) of China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is believed to have completed its known and projected production run with a total …
Chinese Missile Boats Operate on an Attack Swarm Principle Read More
China will raise its defense budget topline by 7.2 percent for 2024 as per a government announcement on March 5 during the second annual session of the 14th National People’s …
China Set to Increase Military Budget by 7.2 Percent Read More As long as there are people there will be corruption. A lot of things people do are awful low (name that movie quote). War provides corrupt individuals with irresistible opportunities …
Corruption, Not the U.S., is the Peoples’ Liberation Army’s Greatest Challenge Read More
In the complex landscape of Taiwanese defense politics, a stark divide has emerged between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of the Tsai administration, particularly concerning the …
Internal Politics Cause Chasm in Taiwan’s Defense Posture Read More
On October 24th, a People’s Republic of China (PRC) J-11 fighter came within 10 feet of a U.S. B-52 bomber during an intercept in international airspace near the South China …
China’s Aircraft Intercepts Brazenly Risk Disaster 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