A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
Since the reimposition of 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum by President Donald Trump in early 2025, the U.S. shipbuilding industry has found itself at a critical juncture. Originally …
Ripple Effects: Steel Tariffs and U.S. Naval Shipbuilding Read More
The Indian government is ready to move forward with a procurement of 26 French-built Rafale combat aircraft. The selection of the Rafale M (Marine) variant to meet the Indian Navy’s …
India Picks Rafale M to Meet Carrier Combat Aircraft Requirement 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. 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 December 17, in a ceremony overseen by President Xi Jinping, China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier was commissioned into service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Construction of …
China Commissions First Domestically Built Aircraft Carrier into PLAN Service Read More
Huntington Ingalls announced the completion of flight deck installation for the U.S. Navy’s Ford class aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). The ship is in the early stages of …
Aircraft Carrier CVN 79 Flight Deck Installation Complete Read More
The United States is sending an additional 1,000 soldiers to the Middle East following suspected Iranian attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. The troops were requested by …
U.S. Sending 1,000 Additional Troops to Middle East Read More
The U.S. House Armed Services Committee began its markup of the FY20 defense authorization bill Wednesday morning, and ranking member Mac Thornberry (R-TX) is trying to reverse cuts contained in …
Thornberry Pushes for Higher Topline in Defense Authorization Bill Read More
The Pentagon has laid out a $205.6 billion budget for the Navy in FY20, an increase of around 5.1 percent compared to the FY19 enacted level of $195.6 billion. Mirroring …
FY20 Budget Overview, Part 2: Navy Programs Read More
The U.S. Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division a massive $15.2 billion contract for the design and construction of two Ford class aircraft carriers: Enterprise (CVN …
U.S. Navy Proceeds with Two-Carrier Block Buy Read More