A Forecast International blog about the arms trade, geopolitics, defense and security, and military spending.
As the Trump administration intensifies its efforts to reshape the global economic landscape through tariffs and the creation of alternative supply chains, a critical vulnerability within the U.S. defense industry …
Tariffs and Retaliation: Exposing the U.S. Defense Industry’s Rare Earth Weakness Read More
Greenland has been in the news a lot lately. The world’s largest island – and least densely populated region on earth – is home to under 60,000 people. Ice covers …
The Great Greenland Gambit Read More
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) self-propelled howitzer (SPH) program represents a significant effort to modernize its heavy artillery. Over the years, the PRC has continuously developed and improved its …
BRIEFER: People’s Liberation Army Self-Propelled Howitzers Read More
Japan’s Ministry of Defense has submitted a budget request of ¥8.54 trillion ($59.76 billion) for fiscal year 2025 (FY25). The requested total marks a 7.5 percent increase over the current …
No Going Back: Japan Continues to Hike Defense Spending Read More
As tensions in the Taiwan Strait have escalated in recent years, Taiwan’s 2024 election loomed as a potential landmark event in cross-strait relations. Taiwanese voters took to the polls on …
Taiwanese Presidential Inauguration Sparks Milestone Chinese Military Exercise Read More
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