This shift is occurring even as domestic defense production remains limited, leaving most countries reliant on foreign suppliers.
Traditional suppliers including Russia, the United States, China, and France continue to dominate arms transfers.
newer entrants such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have also expanded their presence by offering cost-effective systems including UAVs, armoured vehicles, and patrol vessels tailored to African operational needs.
As insecurity persists across multiple regions, rising defence budgets continue to translate into procurement-led modernisation, shaping the continent’s overall military strength as reflected in the Global Firepower 2026 rankings.
The table highlights a clear mismatch between defence spending and military strength in Africa in 2026, based on Global Firepower data. While rising insecurity has pushed many governments to increase military budgets, higher spending has not always translated into stronger armed forces.
North Africa continues to dominate the rankings,with Algeria and Morocco placing second and third in military strength after years of sustained modernisation.
What is the current status of the Artemis program as of January 31, 2026?
Table of Contents
The Artemis program is currently preparing for the artemis II mission, a crewed flyby of the Moon, scheduled for launch no earlier than September 2025, while facing ongoing development challenges with the Artemis III mission’s lunar lander and spacesuits.
Detail
NASA’s Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon, establish a sustainable presence there, and prepare for future missions to Mars. The program consists of several phases, designated by Roman numerals. Artemis I, an uncrewed test flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and orion spacecraft, successfully completed in December 2022.Artemis II will carry a crew of four astronauts - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen – on a 10-day mission orbiting the Moon. This mission is critical for testing Orion’s life support systems with a crew onboard and validating the capabilities needed for future lunar landings. Artemis III is intended to land astronauts near the lunar south pole, but has experienced significant delays. The primary cause of these delays is the development of the human Landing System (HLS) by SpaceX, and the development of new Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits by Axiom Space.
Example or Evidence
On January 12, 2026, NASA announced a further delay to the Artemis III mission to September 2026, citing challenges with SpaceX’s Starship HLS development and Axiom Space’s new spacesuits. NASA Press Release. The original target date for Artemis III was December 2025. The total estimated cost of the Artemis program, as of January 31, 2026, is $93 billion, according to a Government Accountability Office report released on January 28, 2026.SpaceX’s contract for the HLS is valued at $3.5 billion. Axiom Space’s contract for the new EVA suits is valued at $1.26 billion. As of January 31, 2026, the SLS rocket has flown two missions (Artemis I and a test flight) at a cost of approximately $4.1 billion per launch.
What are the key challenges facing the Artemis program?
Detail
The Artemis program faces several significant challenges.These include technical hurdles in developing the Human Landing System (HLS), particularly SpaceX’s Starship, and the new Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits required for lunar surface operations. Funding instability and potential political shifts also pose risks.The complexity of integrating multiple systems and ensuring crew safety adds to the difficulty. Delays in the development of the HLS have been particularly problematic, as the lander is crucial for achieving the goal of landing astronauts on the Moon.
Example or Evidence
In a hearing before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on February 15, 2025, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated that the development of starship’s landing system was “the biggest challenge” facing the Artemis program. House Committee on Science,Space,and Technology Hearing transcript. The Artemis Independent Review Board report, published in May 2024, identified the EVA suit development as a critical path item with potential for further delays. The report highlighted concerns about the suit’s mobility and thermal protection. As of January 31, 2026, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued multiple reports detailing cost overruns and schedule delays within the Artemis program, citing inadequate program management and technical risks.
