Entries for the 'Capabilities' Category

U.S. aerospace and defence companies’ financial performances in 2011 reflect the ongoing Department of Defense budget cuts. According to Deloitte’s recent report "2011 Top 20 U.S. Aerospace and Defense Company Financial Performance Analysis", the general performance of the aerospace and defence industry is to remain sluggish in the near future.

On Tuesday April 10th, UK Prime Minister David Cameron and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding giving way to future defence partnership.

U.S. President Barack Obama told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at a nuclear security summit in Seoul yesterday that he had little flexibility to address Russia’s objections to a U.S. missile defence shield during an election year.

An international arms transfers report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows that India is the world’s largest recipient of arms, followed by South Korea, China and Pakistan.

The UK government might make a U-turn on the ongoing procurement project of the new Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, which includes the equipment of aircraft carriers with appropriate catapults.

A report by a US congressional advisory panel says China has developed significant cyber-warfare capabilities that can threaten US military forces in a possible conflict over Taiwan.

According to the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun, Japan is going to ease its decades-old ban on weapons exports to boost its defence economy.

China yesterday announced an increase of its defence spending this year by 11.2 per cent, triggering international concerns about the country’s military intentions.

The announcement of the North Korean regime on Wednesday to suspend its nuclear testing triggered international optimism with regard to nuclear disarmaments negotiations.

According to a report on international arms production by the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the world’s 100 largest arms dealers excluding China have sold weapons and military services for $411bn in 2010.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the government of Angola to provide helicopters for the UN’s peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) and in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Turkey will buy 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, Turkish Defence Minister Ismet Yilmaz officially confirmed to reporters of the Turkish daily Milliyet.

According to a French defence official, France may sell Mirage F-1 fighter jets to Libya. France is currently replacing its Mirage fleet by Dassault’s Rafale aircraft.

In the scope of a meeting with German Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta outlined the details of upcoming US troop changes in Europe.

The delays to US defence procurement projects intended to save money within overall spending cuts commitments could raise costs in the long-run, defence experts in Washington D.C. highlighted.

Two weeks before the presidential elections in Russia, Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin announced an increase in defence spending.

India and Saudi Arabia have decided to set up a joint committee on defence cooperation, as announced on the sidelines of the visit of a high-level delegation of Indian defence policy-makers, led by Defence Minister A.K. Antony, to Riyadh on Tuesday.

In the scope of its Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system, NATO will purchase five US-built Global Hawk drones from Northrop Grumman.

Defence Minister Giampaolo Di Paola announced today to a joint defence committee of both houses of Parliament that Italy will reduce its order of F-35 by one-third as part of defence spending cuts.

According to a report by the defence select committee of the British Parliament, the UK would struggle to conduct an operation of the dimension of the Libya campaign after the full implementation of the strategic defence and security review.

Following the recent Indian award of a $20bn contract for fighter jets to the French company Dassault, UK-based defence contractor BAE Systems is considering reducing the price of its Eurofighter Typhoon.

According to a diplomatic source, NATO is planning to install its missile shield command centre for Europe on the US military base in Ramstein, Germany.

On January 30th 2012, the SDA hosted a high-level policymakers' dinner about public-private cooperation in cyber-security, featuring European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes and NATO Assistant Secretary General Gábor Iklódy.

Ellen Tauscher, US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security expressed her confidence yesterday, in the up-coming US-Russia ‘strategic stability talks.’

Espen Barth Eide, Norway's Defence Minister told an audience assembled at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, that NATO is losing its self-defence capability.

India sent a military delegation to Beijing on Monday, to visit the General Staff Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) as part of a 4 day defence exchange programme.

One of the major innovations of the new US Defense Strategic Review is the emphasis on challenges in the Asia-Pacific region and the goal to foster progress in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa.

The US Air Force (USAF) has temporarily stopped the production of 20 A-29 Super Tucano light turboprop training and attack aircraft for the Afghan Air Force.

On December 7th, the SDA welcomed the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan H.E. Dr. Elmar Mammadyarov for an evening debate.

Only 10 EU member states have so far implemented the EU’s defence procurement directive, as confirmed by the European Commission Directorate General for Internal Market and Services (DG MARKT) yesterday.

On November 7th the SDA along with the CEIS and the KAS hosted the annual Security and Defence Day conference entitled "Re-thinking Europe's security priorities."

NATO is currently collecting bids from international defence contractors to strengthen its cyber-defence capabilities.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution concerning a stronger harmonisation of European defence policies last week.

The SDA yesterday hosted Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, for a lunch with SDA members to discuss NATO’s priorities for 2012 and objectives for the Chicago summit as well as the SDA’s programme for its 10th anniversary.

The UK is to seek new military alliances and will no longer invest in large-scale military missions, declares Chief of Staff Gen. Sir David Richards in his annual “state of the union” address on December 14th.

Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Raytheon have submitted their bids for getting a follow-up contract for the ‘Aegis’ combat system.

The 2012 US defense authorisation bill contains provisions for stricter cost controls for the purchase of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

As a direct consequence to a NATO airstrike which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in the Afghan-Pakistani border region in November, the US followed the Pakistani request to vacate Shamsi airbase in the South-western Pakistani province of Baluchistan.

New UK Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond announced yesterday that the agreed increase in spending for military equipment as of 2015 will not be affected by further budget cuts.

A US warship, part of NATO’s counter-piracy mission Operation Ocean Shield off the Horn of Africa, captured a group of pirates in cooperation with a Japanese military aircraft earlier this week.

The White House has announced that it will close possible loopholes for the Pentagon to shift different parts of its budget and circumvent cuts to its base budget as of 2013.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged Russia not to waste money on unnecessary measures to counterbalance European missile defence.

France will offer military training to the defence forces of the new Libyan regime, as announced by Adm. Edouard Guillaud, Chief of Staff of the French army, after his talks with representatives of the Libyan government.

The Netherlands are aiming to strengthen cooperation with other European countries and play a pioneering role in multinational defence projects.

At their Council meeting last week, EU Foreign Ministers decided to install a Brussels-based EU Civil-Military Operations Centre for the Horn of Africa.

European defence ministers agreed on a range of projects for pooling defence capabilities at their Brussels meeting on November 30th.

The work of NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) will be enhanced by the full membership of the US and Poland.

An amendment to the 2012 defence authorisation bill, approved by the Senate on November 30th, allows for an exchange of different types of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft between the US and the UK.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Gen. Martin Dempsey, new US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned of the consequences of the foreseen spending cuts ($450bn over the next 10 years) on US Army operability.

Russia activated a warning radar system against incoming missiles in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad yesterday.

Moscow will send its only aircraft carrier, the ‘Admiral Kuznetsov’ to the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria, according to the Russian navy.

According to Stéphane Beemelmans, Secretary of State in the German Ministry of Defence, Germany and France should cooperate on unmanned armed vehicles (UAV) projects.

The Franco-British summit will be dedicated to different aspects of the countries’ defence cooperation at the end of this week.

A US proposal for a new cluster munitions treaty was rejected by member states of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), also known as the ‘Oslo Convention’, an international treaty banning the use of cluster bombs.

Iran said for the first time that it would directly target Turkey and its planned early warning radar for NATO missile defence in case of a Western airstrike on Iranian facilities.

The Austrian army will considerably reduce the number of its armed vehicles by the end of 2013, as announced by Defence Minister Norbert Darabos yesterday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned the US and their NATO allies against continuing their plans for a missile shield for Europe and ignoring Russian concerns.

Ahead of NATO’s Chicago Summit in May 2012, the Alliance has launched an initiative for concrete pooling of defence resources.

Estonian Defence Minister Mart Laar declared that the EU needs to enhance its cyber-defence capability at the meeting of the Nordic-Baltic defence ministers in Örebrö, Sweden, last week.

In the framework of the East Asia Summit on Bali, the US and Indonesia announced the planned purchase of 24 F-16 fighter aircraft by the Indonesian government.

The United States and Europe have a long history of sharing information for law enforcement and national security purposes. More recently, with the increase in international travel and security risks, there is a need to share personal data for public safety purposes.

From 18 November to 6 December this year, the EU will organise and conduct its first crisis management exercise under the Lisbon Treaty.

The German government is scheduled to buy a 7.5% stake of the EADS in 2012 in order to allow carmaker Daimler to make 15% cuts in the airbus. The deal worth €1.2 bn is a step closer to Daimler’s goal of selling out EADS to focus on the car industry.

At the launch of the SDA’s cyber-security initiative yesterday, a high-ranking panel assembled discussants to tackle the core question of “Defining cyber-security”.

Claude-France Arnould, Head of the European Defence Agency, told reporters yesterday that Europe must have its own space-based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in order to minimise collateral damage and civilian lives during interventions.

NATO jets policing the skies of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia took to the skies on Monday to escort Russian air force planes near the Baltic territory.

Drawing from the experiences of the ongoing eurozone crisis and the Arab uprisings, panellists Jan Borkowski, Polish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Francis Delon, French Secretary General for Defence and National Security, Ivan Soltanovskiy, Director of European Cooperation at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

President Barack Obama's advisers are debating an accelerated exit strategy out of Afghanistan by withdrawing more troops and diverting resources to advising Afghan security forces.

Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced during his visit to Libya last week that NATO is willing to help Libya reform its defence and security sectors

Britain upped its contingency planning for military action against Iran as Washington considers accelerating plans for a targeted missile strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. This maneuver comes amid mounting concern about Tehran's nuclear enrichment programme.

Washington moved to kick-start reconciliation talks aimed at ending the war in Afghanistan by continuing air and ground strikes against the Haqqani network and the Taliban, with an insistence that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency brings them to the negotiating table.

According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, the US are trying to intensify the deadlocked US-Russian cooperation on missile defence and have invited Russian defence officials to visit the US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) base in Colorado.

The Swedish parliamentary opposition Social Democrats (SDP) heavily criticised the administration of Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeld for its cuts in defence spending, and announced the drafting of their own defence strategy.

Defence contractor Lockheed Martin UK will be awarded the contract for a ₤1bn (1.15bn Euro) upgrade of the British army’s Warrior armoured vehicle, as announced by Prime Minister David Cameron and Defence Secretary Philip Hammond.

During a visit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton to Beijing on Monday, the EU and China agreed to strengthen their defence cooperation.

The German government is planning to reduce its fighter jet and helicopter orders from the European aerospace company EADS.

The US Department of Defense is going to intensify its strategic efforts in the field of offensive computer warfare and is trying to set up rules of engagement to carry out specific cyber-attacks.

According to top Pentagon officials, the US had considered an offensive cyber-attack on the air defences of Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gaddafi before they decided to start bombing Libyan military installations in March 2011.

A recent report by Eurocontrol, a European organisation for the safety of air navigation, demonstrates considerable gaps between the US and European countries in terms of the total number of fighter aircraft and density in military traffic in 2010.

China’s military leadership has massively criticised the latest US-Taiwan $5.9bn arms deal, and threatened that the deal could become a “serious obstacle” to US-China military relations.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) and the European Commission will cooperate in the field of research.

On June 29 the Security & Defence Agenda organised an international conference entitled “Shaping NATO’s reform agenda” with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, NATO, Lockheed Martin, IBM, the Atlantic Council and the Euro-Atlantic association of Belgium.

The signing of a US-Romania agreement on missile defence cooperation yesterday renewed Russian concerns about NATO’s ballistic missile defence.

The former UK security adviser Admiral Lord West has warned of shrinking British influence in global affairs due to cuts in the national defence budget.

France is preparing a review of its defence strategy for 2012, as explained by Francis Delon, Secretary General for National Defence and Security, on September 6th.

Following the sale of two French-built Mistral class amphibious assault ships to Russia in June 2011, Russian Minister of Defence Anatoly Serdyukov yesterday announced the signing of a contract with France for two more vessels of this type.

The Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) General Ari Puheloinen presented concrete plans for Finland’s upcoming defence reform on September 1st.

Ranking members of India’s armed forces have lamented the condition of the country’s military hardware and warned against a widening gap between India’s and China’s defence capabilities.

Commander of the US Marine Corps Gen. Jim Amos announced a deep restructuring of the force, contributing to the country’s ongoing defence cuts.

Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen has denied Finland’s intentions to join NATO due to expected defence cuts.

During a visit to the Royal Air Force Chinook base at Odiham, British Secretary of Defence Liam Fox announced a £1bn deal with Boeing for the delivery of 14 Chinook transport helicopters including development and support for 5 years.

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee released a report warning that British forces in Afghanistan and Libya will likely face shortages of vital equipment within a month due to a supply chain at “critical risk of failure”.

Stefan Wallin, Finland’s newly appointed Defence Minister, announced that further defence cuts justify Finland joining NATO. However, Wallin's position has been rejected by military chiefs, who argue that Finland would require a larger defence budget to conform to NATO’s operational and equipment standards.

UK Home Secretary Theresa May announced yesterday that the UK terror threat level was being reduced from “severe” to “substantial”. The decision of the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) to downgrade the threat level is based is intelligence analysis, factors of "capability, intent and timescale" and recent events such as the arrest of terrorist suspects in December in Cardiff and London and a view that al-Qaida's leadership is "struggling" since the death of Osama bin Laden.

Italy’s Minister of Defence Ignazio La Russa has announced the withdrawal of an aircraft carrier from the NATO mission in Libya because of the pressing financial situation. "We have cut back costs in Libya, from a forecast 142 million euros in the first half of the year to less than 60 million euros for the second half,"

Russian Ambassador to NATO and Special Envoy on missile defence Dmitry Rogozin declared on July 1 that Moscow would not be willing to hand NATO access to its military command. "Giving anyone access to this virtual red button is something that can never happen," Rogozin was quoted by Interfax.

British Labour politician and shadow secretary for defence, Jim Murphy said that greater European defence co-operation is "critical", especially in the procurement of new weapons and in training. In a speech to industrialists at the Paris air show on Monday, Murphy said: "Europe must decide if it is serious. European governments have to be more honest with each other and about their capacity within NATO.

Russia has received support from China and certain Central Asian countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in condemning US missile shield plans. After a meeting in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, China together with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan signed a declaration denouncing US shield plans.

Following his warning to NATO members on finances in his SDA speech on 10 June, US Secretary of Defence Gates reiterated his critique on Wednesday to members of the US Senate Appropriation Committee, adding that this could eventually force the United States to move away from the alliance.

Taiwan’s National Security Bureau has confirmed statements about a new Chinese missile unit being deployed close to the island.

At bilateral talks on the sidelines of the current G8 summit in Deauville, France, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and US president Barack Obama have discussed options for the European missile defence shield.

Some eight weeks after the initiation of NATO’s air campaign against forces of Libyan dictator Gadaffi, France and Britain will deploy attack helicopters to the battle zone.

After issuing serious threats and warning of a new cold war era should the European missile defence shield be implemented without Russian involvements, Moscow on 21 May said it may accept the shield under certain conditions.

EU defence ministers are set to discuss the pooling of military capabilities on 23 May in Brussels. According to EU officials, the meeting will see national representatives explain their positions on pooling and sharing options.

NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen expressed his support for NATO-Russia cooperation in missile defence.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has written a letter to NATO heads of state on 14 May, explaining the Russian position on a European missile defence shield.

The implementation of the new START agreement in the United States is facing difficulties after a vote by the US Congress’ House Armed Services Committee.

Italy will provide rebels in Libya with weapons, Abdul Hafiz Ghoga, vice chairman of the National Transitional Council told the press on 7 May.

NATO Defence Ministers agreed on a new task force to explore joint military capabilities. Due to defence cuts NATO will seek to expand joint operations and multinational capability development. The new task force will consist of NATO, ACT and member states officials.

France and the US have signed a cooperation agreement for the monitoring of space debris, in the first tangible bilateral relationship to emerge from Washington’s new National Security Space Strategy (NSSS). Currently, the US has a virtual monopoly on debris monitoring radar technology, despite around 60 countries currently operating roughly 1,100 satellites in orbit.

The US has unveiled its National Security Space Strategy (NSSS), which for the first time has provided a 10 year roadmap for space policy. The report has acknowledged the increased crowding of the space domain, and the emergence of a range of space orientated weapons by actors such as China and Iran. As NATO’s leading member state on space issues, the NSSS will undoubtedly shape NATO’s own burgeoning interest in space policy.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has stated the UK’s intention to spearhead the development of conventions and guidelines for operations conducted in cyberspace. Whilst cyberdefence has risen high on the agenda of the US and NATO allies, the announcement makes the UK the first nation state to actually propose the formalisation of “rules of engagement” for the realm of cyberspace

NATO has announced a succession of development and implementation contracts for command and control equipment, which will allow for increased interoperability in European air commands. The deals, signed with Siemens, STM and ThalesRaytheonSystems, will also provide the initial operational capacity onto which the future missile defence architecture will be integrated.

NATO’s theatre ballistic missile defence (TBMD) system has completed initial testing in Uedem, Germany, inaugurating the next stage of the Alliance’s efforts to create an integrated missile defence command and control apparatus. The handing over of NATO’s Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence Programme to military planners is the first step forward since the Lisbon Summit, where members asserted their commitment to developing a robust missile defence capacity for Europe.

A group of former British Chiefs of the Defence Staff, in a letter to the UK’s Daily Telegraph, have called the cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 surveillance aircraft programme “perverse”, amidst claims it will endanger Britain’s nuclear deterrent. The project, which has already cost the UK €4.6 billion, was cancelled as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), both to save costs and open up competition for a potential un-manned capability.

The German government has ratified their portion of the A400M budget, confirming the order of 53 of the military transport aircraft at an estimated cost of €3.5 billion. However, financial constraints and a radical decrease in troop numbers after the recent military reform package has lowered demand, meaning that up to 13 of the aircraft may be sold on to third party buyers.

France and Russia have signed a deal for the construction of upto four Mistral-class transport ships, despite strong concerns from NATO allies in the Baltic. The warships, which have been sold for an undisclosed amount, are capable of carrying upto 450 soldiers and a full compliment of support helicopters and armour, which will give Russia a level of amphibious capability unseen since the end of the Cold War.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) will host a multinational working group on the 8th of February, to assess the viability of forming a shared helicopter resource pool for European expeditionary and disaster response roles. The proposals build upon European ambitions to increase the deployability of existing helicopter platforms, which is chronically low. According to Andy Grey, the Helicopter Project Officer at the EDA, out of 1,500 military support helicopters in Europe, only 50 are deployed in-theatre.

General Vincenzo Camporini has ended his tenure as the Italian Chief of Defence Staff, after three years of service. His replacement, General Biagio Abrate, will assume the role, having previously held positions as Head of the Defence Minister’s cabinet, Secretary General for Defence and Director General for Armaments. General Abrate has vowed to continue the force modernization initiatives of his predecessor.

Lithuania formally opened its new Energy Security Centre on the 14th of January, with the hope of gaining NATO accreditation by 2013. Neigbouring Estonia is already home to NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCD COE), and the new centre is tacitly aiming to gain a similar status within the Alliance. NATO has emphasised that energy security is a prominent concern for its members.

French Defence Ministry spokesman Laurent Teisseire has confirmed that British and French defence ministers Liam Fox and Alain Juppé met on the 13th of January, to assess the progress of cooperative measures agreed between the two nations in November. The meeting was the first ministerial level collaboration since the treaty was signed, and centred on the practical operational questions that underpin the agreement, which includes a combined rapid reaction task force and the sharing of carrier resources.

General Vincenzo Camporini, the Italian Chief of the Defence Staff, has stated that he believes Europe is "technically ready" for a European army, whilst speaking at the Università per Stranieri. The General went on to clarify that "without political will we cannot make progress", during a discussion of the role of the Italian armed forces in peace-keeping operations.

The European network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) and NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCD COE) will conduct a joint workshop in Cologne, Germany to address issues related to the measurement, detection and tracking of botnets in Europe. The collaboration is the latest in a series of exercises, including “Cybersecurity 2010”, Europe’s first continent-wide cyberdefence drill.

As budget cuts begin to bite in Washington, Europe may feel the effects of the financial crisis on the transatlantic relationship in unexpected ways, warns European Voice analyst, Bruce Stokes. Pointing to the flurry of consolidation plans published in the US by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform earlier this week, Stokes anticpates severe implications for Europe, in both it's military and economic relations with the US.

Claude-France Arnould has been appointed as Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA). She is currently Deputy Director-General for the Crisis Management and Planning Directorate (CMPD) in the External Action Service, and has extensive experience operating as part of EU external relations missions, the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Common Security and Defence Policy.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has announced a $78bn (£50.3bn) military budget cut for 2011, designed to end what he describes as a "culture of endless money where cost was rarely a consideration" in the Pentagon. The move comes just 6 months after the US announced $100bn in savings for the coming 5 years, making the Pantagon's current policy of fiscal retrenchment the harshest since the end of the Cold War.

Speaking to NewEurope, SDA Co-President and long serving European diplomat Javier Solana has outlined his perspective of the recent Anglo-French treaty, and the opportunities it may create for a further drive towards pan-European defence cooperation in the wake of the financial crisis. Describing the agreement, that formalises the shared use of carrier and nuclear resources, Solana described how such treaties constitute “a step along the arduous but necessary path toward greater European security”.

The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Poland have taken the un-usual step of sending a trilateral letter to Catherine Ashton, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, urging her to strengthen the EU’s military capabilities. In the letter, dated the 6th of December, the Troika calls for Ashton to personally oversee a re-focus on Europe’s military ambitions, "with you, Madam High Representative, in the lead."

A panel of experts discussed the future of NATO and the transatlantic relationship. Focusing on the ongoing mission in Afghanistan and European relations with the US, the debate revolved around the need for reform, reinvigorated partnerships with regional powers and new models of cooperation in an increasingly unstable world.

Germany has formally announced an end to conscription into the Bundeswehr (German Army), as part of ongoing measures to increase power projection capabilities abroad whilst slashing budgets at home.

The worlds largest and most powerful military alliance has unveiled its New Strategic Concept, the document that formally outlines its strategic posture and role in the world. Despite controversy, the alliance has unanimously backed the draft.

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton has appointed the chair for the Political and Security Committee (PSC) of the European External Action Service (EEAS), 48-year-old Swedish diplomat, Olof Skoog. The posting is the first of seven major appointments expected ahead of the official launch of the service in December.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has continued to object to the specific wording and construction of NATO’s missile defence statement in the upcoming New Strategic Concept, due to be unveiled at the Lisbon Summit later this week.

NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has outlined his expectations for the forthcoming summit in Lisbon following meetings of Foreign and Defence Ministers. Claiming that all parties now have a clear mandate for reform as well as a clear idea of what reform will look like, he predicted that the summit will bring about “a substantially leaner Alliance Command Structure”, which is likely to mean streamlining the command to below 9000 personnel and reducing the number of NATO agencies from fourteen to only three.

Britain’s first Strategic Defence Review in over a decade, designed to dictate the form and function of the UK armed forces, has been over-shadowed by the need to deal with the constraints of the current financial situation and controversy over capability gaps in the new aircraft carrier program.

A panel of high-ranking UK officials discuss the upcoming Strategic Defence and Security Review. Against a backdrop of the financial crisis, panellists and participants discussed what to expect from this exercise after 9/11, two wars, and an ever changing European defence project.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen headed a high-level panel discussed the future of the Alliance, the implications of the financial crisis on the defence sector and the way ahead in Afghanistan.
"NATO's European Dimension" was organised with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, and was attended by 500 particpants. .

During this innovative online experiment, leading think-tanks got together with the SDA to organise a 5-day brainstorm that was supported by NATO and the EU. The recommendations that emerged from this brainstorming event have been sent around the world.

Experts from NATO, McAfee, the EU, the European Parliament and various thinks-tanks spoke in this sometimes heated debate, which focused on the threat of so-called "weapons of mass disruption" that were emerging from cyberspace.

In December 2009 the Security & Defence Agenda organised an international conference “NATO, the credit crunch and the new security environment” with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Hewlett Packard, Lockheed Martin and NATO. The discussions focused on the challenges facing NATO with the current economic crisis and the ever-changing global security paradigm. The SDA is pleased to present the principal conclusions of the conference in this report.

The SDA is pleased to send you the report of its recent evening debate entitled “Could Europe do better on pooling Intelligence?”, held on October 26 in Brussels. The panel, bringing together directors and high level representatives from the EU Joint Situation Centre, EU Satellite Centre, Europol, Interpol, and national intelligence services, came to the conclusion that deeper trust and greater understanding between European intelligence and security agencies is key to a better pooling of intelligence.

In November 2009, high-level representatives from EU institutions, member state governments, NGOs, think-tanks, industry, and the media, gathered to discuss how the combination of civilian and military power is the key to the European Union’s “smart power”. The Security & Defence Agenda and the CEIS (European Strategic Intelligence Company) are pleased to present the main findings of the conference.

Ballistic missile threats have continued to grow during 2009. North Korea and Iran have both demonstrated short as well as intermediate range missiles, highlighting a potential threat to the United States and Europe.

Following the US Administration’s change of policy, what is the political outlook for the new US anti-missile system, in terms of both public opinion in the US and Europe and also in light of NATO's new Strategic Concept? Is there potential for a linked missile defence system for the US and Europe, and if so, what practical steps now need to be taken?

The SDA is pleased to present its latest Discussion Paper entitled “Re-launching NATO or just re-branding it?” At a decisive time for NATO, experts tackle critical questions over the Alliance’s new strategic consensus, including France’s return to NATO’s military command, the relationship between NATO and European security and defence policy (ESDP), and the Obama Administration’s own security and defence agenda.

Headline-grabbing reports of piracy off the coast of Somalia may have prompted calls for more EU action but the interests of individual member states take precedence while the presence of national industrial champions means defence procurement remains fragmented in Europe. There have been piecemeal attempts to co-ordinate European efforts but none have so far added up to a comprehensive naval strategy.

Co-organised with the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), this evening event examined Nick Witney's recent report entitled 'Re-energising European Security and Defence Policy.' Describing his report as a rather unflattering account of the first 10 years of ESDP, Nick Witney explained that his criticism was directed mainly at the member states for failing to reform their militaries, rather than those in Brussels. The discussion also focused on transatlantic cooperation, effective spending strategies, and defence industry priorities.

The Security & Defence Agenda (SDA), the European Company for Strategic Intelligence (CEIS) and the Robert Schuman Foundation are proud to present this Security & Defence Days 2008 conference report “The Outlook for European Security”. It reflects the contributions of the 27 speakers and 280 participants at this two-day conference on EU security policy issues held on November 3 & 4 November 2008.

Some 120 experts gathered in Brussels to discuss the chief ESDP weaknesses to be tackled and debate what the impact will be of France's return to NATO. Though the debate almost got sidetracked by discussions of the skirmishes in Georgia, participants discussed whether the French Presidency's agenda was too ambitious, and many voices agreed that the Presidency's call for informal high-level meetings between NATO and EU leaders was a way forward.

The event, which took place on May 27, 2008, comprised a keynote address by Araz Azimov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, followed by a question and answer session.

The event focused on current developments in the field of security and defence technology including transatlantic interoperability, funding and civ-mil cooperation.

On 14 April, the Security & Defence Agenda together with the Atlantic Council of the United States organised a transatlantic roundtable on the question of EU-US defence cooperation. With two panels and 14 high-level speakers both in Brussels and in Washington, the debate proved to be highly fruitful and a start for more transatlantic dialogue on this subject.

The Security & Defence Agenda is pleased to present you the report of its 2008 International Conference "NATO in the Next Decade - The Outlook for European Security and Defence". The event was co-organised with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Hewlett Packard, Lockheed Martin and NATO.

Romania will be hosting the next NATO Summit in Bucharest on 2-4 April this year. On 12 March the Security & Defence Agenda hosted Romania’s Ambassador to NATO Sorin Dumitru Ducaru, US Ambassador to NATO Victoria Nuland and Belgium’s Ambassador to NATO Baron Frans van Daele.

This study has been prepared by the Security & Defence Agenda for the French Ministry of Defence. It looks at the quality of debate amongst defence and security experts of the future course of the ESDP (European Security and Defence Policy) in Brussels.

Javier Solana, Head of the European Defence Agency, announced today that the EDA Steering Board has appointed Alexander Weis of Germany as the Agency’s Chief Executive from 1 October, succeeding Nick Witney, who has led the Agency since its creation in July 2004.

In mid-January 2007, US officials formally proposed establishing a ballistic missile defence (BMD) radar system, operated by US personnel, in the Czech Republic.

Although the latest SDA roundtable looked at two issues – Theatre Missile Defence (TMD) and Territorial Missile Defence – the debate that flowed around them soon became one and the same. Several speakers argued they could not be separated, while others said that a focus on the defence of populations (Territorial Missile Defence) would dilute the current TMD programme.

The EU has no plans to participate in a US anti-missile system but its member states are free to join, the bloc's foreign and security affairs chief said on Thursday (2 march) in an attempt to ease Russian concerns over the project.

Speaking at the latest SDA Dinner, EU Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry Günter Verheugen placed cooperation at the top of his priority list. All of the major players had to work together if Europe was to develop a defence and security culture, and thereby guarantee the protection of the EU’s borders and critical infrastructure. At the same event, Dr. Thomas Diehl, CEO of the Diehl Stiftung, said industry was ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century. To do this, however, he wanted a level-playing field for the EU’s defence and security companies, internally and externally. Regarding the internal level playing field, intra-EU export regulations and offsets were addressed.

The event launched the debate on the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB). Speakers discussed why the EDTIB is needed for ESDP to be effective, what industrial capacities will be needed in the future, the particular characteristics of the defence sector, and the importance of security of supply and industrial sustainability.

On June 13, 2006, European Defence Agency Chief Executive Nick Witney and Security & Defence Agenda Director Giles Merritt co-chaired an expert level seminar focussing on the nature and the drivers shaping the future military environment. The meeting came at a time as the EDA is undertaking detailed analysis, using a range of conceptual approaches, aimed at developing an initial long-term vision for European capability and capacity needs. Experts examined questions arising from consideration of European internal and global security in the coming decades. Major factors influencing future capability needs identified include continued EU geographical proximity to sources of instability, new military and technological challenges, greater EU Member State cooperation, global economic, demographic and political change, civil-military co-operation and a further shift towards crisis prevention and management.

At the latest SDA roundtable, there was general agreement that network centric capabilities would define the future of the defence industries on both sides of the Atlantic. However, the key word there was “future”. With such capabilities still in their infancy, it became apparent that – despite repeated requests from industry – a coordinated European approach did not exist. As SDA Director Giles Merritt noted, network centric capabilities seemed to be still in the Middle Ages and the route towards an Age of Enlightenment was not clearly lit

At the outset of his presentation of his new book “The Utility of Force: the Art of War in the Modern World”,General Sir Rupert Smith called for fundamental changes in the way modern warfare is approached. General Smith argued that adversaries were now “of and amongst the people”. It was no longer a case of defending territory, the goal was now to defend a way of life. Wars had to be conducted differently, with the desired outcome being defined ahead of any campaign – force alone would never be sufficient

After a wide-ranging debate on European space policies, it was clear that overall requirements need to be defined and that space was receiving inadequate funding. It was anyone’s guess as to which came first. Almost all the panellists called for a clearer requirements definition to be produced on European level and by the member states. The ESA’s Gerhard Brauer wanted these to be harmonised, or even better, common.

If maritime security was indeed the EU security policy’s Achilles heel, there was complete agreement on how to respond – it was through more effective cooperation between all parties. Not all questions were answered but there was complete harmony in several areas – this was a policy where only global solutions would be effective, all actors had to be involved and the political will to succeed was paramount.

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) made the first of a series of speeches leading up to the June 28-29 Istanbul Summit at the NDA Defending Global Security Conference at the Palais d'Egmont on May 17th. NATO will showcase its new plan for defending security by projecting stability. This will be done by strengthening relations with the Balkans, in the Caucasus, in Central Asia and in the Mediterranean; through military operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Active Endeavour in the Mediterranean Sea; and by modernising forces organisation and deployment for newer operations far from home.

Speaking at the latest New Defence Agenda (NDA) hosted press dinner, Nick Witney, Head of the European Defence Agency Establishment Team, provided a wide-ranging overview of the role the agency might be playing in the coming years. Looking at the reason why an agency was required, Witney said that Europe needed to raise its game on defence. The root problem was fragmentation - insufficient coordination of defence requirements across the EU and hence no unity of supply.

The New Defence Agenda June roundtable set out to assess future military threats and in particular, how Europe should react to them. The first session, focusing on European security, developed into a power struggle between the US, with its “act now” approach, and a Europe, that wanted to give more thought to the root causes of terrorism and, in parallel, to avoid total dependence on the US. The afternoon session looked at intelligence, where a majority of speakers felt confident about the efficiency of data gathering and processing and a vocal minority warned of complacency in that area.

At its latest roundtable, the New Defence Agenda discussed how defence costs could be shared across the EU. However, as the day progressed, there was a gradual change of topic with the focus moving firmly to security. Moderator Michel Berendt opened the morning session by noting that it was difficult to separate defence and security and later, Thales’ Martin Hill observed that industry was mainly talking security, as it was “chasing the money”. Several speakers emphasised the gap in expenditure between Europe and the US and there was universal acceptance that defence budgets were being squeezed.

The New Defence Agenda’s first roundtable of 2004 saw a packed house and three hours of intense debate surrounding the future of the European Defence Agency. Perhaps those who came expecting to hear revolutionary talk were disappointed, as although speakers reinforced the Agency’s importance, they emphasised that it is just one step along the way to a common European defence policy.

At the fifth session of the European Capabilities and Security Aims working group, it was agreed that the Headline Goal would be met in quantitative terms by year end. Serious concerns remained however, in the key areas of availability; mobility, intra-operability and sustainability.