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.

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.

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?

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.