A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
On June 1, 2024, the Netherlands made history, becoming the first country to officially assign its F-35A stealth fighters to the nuclear strike role, a significant milestone for NATO’s military …
Netherlands Enhances Nuclear Arsenal with F-35A: A New Era in NATO-Russia Tensions Read More
BY AUDREY DECKER, Staff Writer, Defense One The estimated lifetime cost to operate and maintain the Pentagon’s F-35s just took a big jump, even though the U.S. military is flying …
The F-35 Program is Costing More and Doing Less, GAO Says Read More
During its earnings call for the fourth quarter of 2023, Lockheed Martin detailed its 2023 financial results and its plans for deliveries of its F-35 fighter aircraft in 2024. The …
Lockheed Martin Details 2024 F-35 Delivery Plans Read More In May 2023, the U.S. rejected Thailand’s bid to procure Lockheed Martin F-35A aircraft, citing production constraints and inadequate existing infrastructure on the receiving end. While partially true, other evidence …
F-35 – A Litmus Test for U.S. Alliance Strength Read More
Lockheed Martin recently indicated that it will deliver only 97 F-35s in 2023. The company had originally planned to deliver 147-153 F-35s during the year, but subsequently reduced this target …
Lockheed Martin Reduces 2023 F-35 Delivery Plan, But Maintains Build Rate Read More
The House’s recent version of the FY24 defense appropriations bill provided a lifeline for the alternate engine being developed for the F-35, but the legislation doesn’t foresee actually using the …
House Bill Keeps Alternate F-35 Engine Afloat, but Only for Research Purposes Read More
As the United Kingdom confronts labor disputes, a struggling National Health Service, a possible recession, and post-Brexit depression, the nation’s formerly renowned military faces its own reckoning. While British munitions …
The British Military’s Winter of Discontent Read More
Switzerland has made its procurement of the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft official. The country’s defense procurement agency, Armasuisse, signed the CHF6.035 billion ($6.25 billion) contract for 36 F-35 conventional …
Switzerland Concludes F-35 Purchase Read More
Five companies have been awarded contracts for the USAF Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program. This 10-year, near $5 billion effort seeks to develop a prototype engine for a next-generation …
Five Companies Selected for $975 Million USAF Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion Program Read More
The Senate Armed Services Committee released a proposed defense policy bill that would increase defense spending by $45 billion in FY23, which would bring the Pentagon budget up to $817.3 …
Senate Panel Recommends $45 Billion Increase for Defense Read More