On March 13, 2013 the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security hosted its annual conference on missile defense. The conference maintained its traditional focus on transatlantic missile defense, while also addressing other regions of critical importance such as Asia and the Middle East.
US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Miller opened the conference with the Obama Administration’s perspective on missile defense. Brent Scowcroft Center Vice Chair Ellen Tauscher and former US National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley then discussed global challenges to US missile defense in a luncheon keynote conversation. The conference also featureed several expert panels on missile defense challenges and opportunities in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the defense industry.
Two days after the conference, Secretary of Defense, and former Chairman of the Atlantic Council, Chuck Hagel made a major announcement regarding US missile defense policy – that the United States would add fourteen interceptors to a West Coast-based missile defense system, reflecting concern about North Korea’s focus on developing nuclear weapons and its advances in long-range missile technology. The Council hosted a timely conference call to discuss the development.
Program
Welcome
Frederick Kempe, President and CEO, Atlantic Council
Ellen O. Tauscher, Vice Chair, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Atlantic Council
Toward a Global Missile Defense
Opening Keynote by James N. Miller, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, US Department of Defense
Moderated by Barry Pavel, Director, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Atlantic Council
James N. Miller’s prepared remarks
Panel Discussion on European Missile Defense Architecture
Frank Rose, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Defense Policy and Verification Operations, US Department of State
Marcin Zaborowski, Director, Polish Institute of International Relations
Walt Slocombe, Senior Counsel, Caplin & Drysdale
Moderated by Ian Brzezinski, Senior Fellow, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Atlantic Council
Panel Discussion on US Missile Defense Initiative in the Arabian Gulf
H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba, Ambassador, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
Kevin J. Cosgriff, Senior Vice President of International Business and Government, Textron Systems Corporation
Matthew Spence, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy, US Department of Defense
Moderated by Michael Singh, Managing Director, Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Luncheon Keynote Conversation
Stephen J. Hadley, Former US National Security Adviser
Ellen Tauscher, Vice Chair, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Atlantic Council
Moderated by Frederick Kempe, President and CEO, Atlantic Council
Panel Discussion on US Missile Defense Initiative in the Asia Pacific
Patrick M. Cronin, Senior Advisor and Senior Director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program, Center for a New American Security
Walter “Skip” Sharp, former Commander, United Nations Command, US-ROK Forces Combined Command, US Forces Korea
Seok-soo Lee, Professor, Korea National Defense University
Moderated by Barry Pavel, Director, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Atlantic Council
Panel Discussion on Missile Defense: Industry Perspective
John C. Rood, Vice President, US Business Development, Raytheon
Edgar Buckley, Senior Consultant, EV Buckley Consulting Ltd.
Moderated by Steve Grundman, M.A. and George Lund Fellow, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Atlantic Council
Pictures
Post-Conference Developments
Two days after the conference, Secretary of Defense, and former Chairman of the Atlantic Council, Chuck Hagel made a major announcement regarding US missile defense policy – that the United States would add fourteen interceptors to a West Coast-based missile defense system, reflecting concern about North Korea’s focus on developing nuclear weapons and its advances in long-range missile technology.
In response the Atlantic Council hosted a conference call to discuss the implications of the Obama administration’s annoucement regarding changes to US missile defense plans and deployments.
Conference Call: Implications of the Obama Administration’s Missile Defense Announcement by Atlantic Council
Then, on April 8, the Atlantic Council and the Russian International Affairs Council–in a in a joint statement Tauscher and Igor Ivanov–launched Beyond the Reset, a new initiative to help reframe US-Russia relations and get past the Cold War-era nuclear legacy in our relationship, particularly the dominant paradigm of “mutual assured destruction.” The goal is to reconfigure the bilateral relationship towards “mutual assured stability” and refocus arms control and disarmament toward the development of reassuring measures, and thus help promote closer cooperation between Russia and the West.
Media Mentions
Barry Pavel | Candian CTV | BBC World News | Al Jazeera English
Missile Defense Conference | The Telegraph | The Washington Post | CNN | The Washington Times | Fox News