A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
The White House has announced that its FY22 budget request will seek $753 billion for national defense, a 1.7 percent increase over the FY21 enacted level. That figure includes the …
White House Proposes $715 Billion Defense Budget for FY22 Read More
The long national awakening to a renewed threat presented by Russia has prompted Sweden’s political leadership to dip into its past to prepare for potential future conflict. The new preparations …
Sweden Looks to the Past to Prepare for Its Defense Future Read More
The U.S. Navy has released the long-awaited update to its 30-year shipbuilding plan. The public release of the strategy document was delayed early this year when then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper …
Washington Releases Lame-Duck Shipbuilding Plan that Requires $45 Billion in Offsets Read More
The race was too close to call on election day, but former Vice President Joe Biden has unseated incumbent Donald Trump in the presidential election, multiple news outlets are reporting. …
How the Biden Win Impacts Defense Read More
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper outlined plans to build a Navy fleet consisting of over 500 manned and unmanned ships by 2045. The planned fleet features a larger submarine component, …
Esper Charts Course for Future Navy Fleet Read More
Massive federal deficits, exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, have raised serious questions about the future of U.S. defense spending. Even before the pandemic hit the U.S., the Pentagon’s $705.4 …
Navigating the DoD Acquisition Budget During Uncertain Times Read More
The South Korean government plans to trim around KRW300 billion ($245 million) from the country’s 2020 defense allocation in order to bolster its economic relief effort in light of the …
Due to COVID-19, South Korea Plans Fresh Cut to 2020 Defense Budget Read More
China has announced a defense budget for 2020 that will result in a year-on-year nominal increase of 6.6 percent, the lowest such figure since the first half of the 1990s. …
China’s Defense Budget Set to Grow at Slower Pace Read More
Thailand becomes the latest defense spending domino to fall in Asia as governments look to shift funding priorities toward novel coronavirus (COVID-19) economic and civil relief packages. With Thailand’s economy …
Thailand Cuts Defense Budget, Suspends Military Acquisition Projects Read More As South Korea seeks to mitigate economic fallout and social disruption in the wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the government is looking for areas with which to shift …
South Korea Plans Defense Budget Reduction in Wake of COVID-19 Pandemic Read More