International Missile Defence? Opportunities, Challenges and Implications for Europe

By Robin Ranger, David Wieneck and Jeremy Stocker (Editors)
19 Apr 2005

This timely conference on International Missile Defence? Opportunities, Challenges and Implications for Europe set out to examine the various perspectives held by the United States, the United Kingdom, NATO and the other major European military powers on the issue of national and long-range missile defence. It explored differences in policy, needs and concerns, and sought common ground and possibilities for synergy amongst the key players.

The conference took place a mere month after the appalling terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. The effect of these catastrophic events in the United States on US policy for missile defence was unclear. The attacks demonstrated that there are enemies who will not be deterred by retaliatory capability and will never be parties to arms control and non-proliferation regimes. One might conclude that homeland protection in all its forms – and perhaps especially – missile defence, must be a high priority.

These arguments were developed during the conference. In a nutshell, deliberations were overshadowed by two questions: ‘How will US policy develop after 9/11?’ and ‘What effect will it have on European governments and electorates individually and collectively in the forums of NATO and the European Union and in other multilateral groupings?’

This Whitehall Paper gathers the several papers and contributions to the conference.

Index