A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
Introduction As Forecast International prepares to attend WEST 2025—the premier naval conference and exposition on the West Coast—we’ve prepared this blog to illuminate one of the most critical topics for …
Steel and Strategy: America’s Shipbuilding Plans Enter Stormy Waters Read More
The Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC) has proposed adding $4.6 billion to the Navy’s shipbuilding budget for FY25, setting the stage for a conflict with House appropriators who recommended reducing shipbuilding …
Conflict Ahead: Senate and House at Odds Over Navy Shipbuilding Funding Read More
The Department of Defense once again finds itself operating at reduced funding levels due to a continuing resolution (CR) enacted at the start of the 2024 fiscal year. A CR …
U.S. Navy Shipbuilding Programs Impacted by Continuing Resolution Read More
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday released a public version of his 2022 Navigation Plan (NAVPLAN) that includes details of the Navy’s desire for a fleet of 373 battle …
New Details Emerge about U.S. Navy’s Desired Fleet Size Read More
U.S. shipbuilding spending is about to drastically increase, with a projected budget of $30.1 billion for the next five years as opposed to the $24.1 billion spent in the past …
U.S. Shipbuilding Budget Exceeds $30 Billion Read More
The Senate Appropriations Committee released its version of the FY22 defense spending bill earlier this week. The committee recommends adding billions of dollars to the FY22 defense spending bill, mirroring …
Senate Recommends Additional Defense Spending in Draft FY22 Appropriations Bill Read More
The Senate Armed Services Committee filed its version of the FY22 defense authorization bill last week, providing additional insight into the details of the $25 billion defense boost recommended by …
Senate Panel Adds $16 Billion for Acquisition Programs Read More
President Joe Biden has not adopted a naval expansion proposed by the previous administration, but the future of the Navy fleet remains uncertain because a new long-term shipbuilding plan has …
Biden Administration Holds Off on Navy Fleet Expansion, but Long-Term Shipbuilding Plans Remain Uncertain 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
On April 30, the U.S. Navy announced that the Fincantieri bid for the FFG(X) program had won the competition, and it placed a $795 million order for the lead ship …
FREMM Wins U.S. Navy’s FFG(X) Competition Read More