Craig Caffrey

Craig Caffrey June 30, 2026 Taiwan's Block 70 F-16. Credit: Lockheed Martin In late May Taiwan finally approved a new special budget for defense, ensuring that the country’s defense budget will continue to be augmented by supplemental funds beyond 2026. The new budget will add TWN780 billion ($24.5 billion) to spending over the coming years, with the majority of the funding...

Craig Caffrey June 08, 2026 Credit: Boeing/Aviation Week Collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) represent the most consequential development in air combat since the introduction of guided weapons. Designed to operate in conjunction with crewed fighters to enhance their lethality and survivability, and—crucially—to add mass to depleted tactical aircraft...

Craig Caffrey June 05, 2026 Credit: Luftwaffe There was a time when tracking the German defense budget was a straightforward, uninteresting, entirely predictable annual task. Between the year 2000 and 2018 military spending barely moved in real terms, fluctuating between a low of $55 billion and a high of $60.9 billion throughout the 19-year...