All commentary & analysis

Event Recap

Jun 23, 2014

NATO’s Challenges and Opportunities: An Italian Perspective

Given its key geopolitical location by the Mediterranean, Italy is often first among the NATO allies to experience the consequences of unrest and political instability in North Africa and the Middle East. Along with its substantial contributions to Operation Unified Protector over Libya, Italy is one of the Alliance’s most important voices in formulating Alliance […]

NATO Security & Defense

Event Recap

Jun 20, 2014

Conference Call: Debrief on Obama’s Trip to Europe and the NATO Defense Ministerial 6/11

Given Russia’s continuing destabilization of Ukraine, President Obama began the month of June in Europe reaching out to reassure America’s European allies of the United States and NATO’s resolute commitment to the defense and security of Europe. The President’s trip to Poland, Belgium, and France culminated in the announcement of the European Reassurance Initiative. This […]

NATO Security & Defense

Event Recap

Jun 17, 2014

Estonian Chief of Defense Private Strategy Session

Since the inception of the Ukraine crisis, Estonia has played a critical role in enhancing security on NATO’s eastern border, including hosting a large-scale NATO exercise, STEADFAST JAVELIN 1, which tested allied forces on their ability to work together as well as maintaining NATO’s readiness and combat effectiveness.

Northern Europe

Article

Jun 13, 2014

China and America: At a Dangerous Tipping Point

By Robert A. Manning, James Clad

The notion of a cooperative U.S.-Chinese economic relationship, balanced by security hedging, has run aground. Just a year ago, presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping met in California and, in shirtsleeves, proclaimed a “new type of major-power relationship.” A noble aspiration, perhaps. But in the interim, such stage-managed optimism has been dangerously overtaken by a […]

China

Article

Jun 5, 2014

Saab Contributes Chapter to New Book on Middle East Security

By Bilal Saab

Resident Senior Fellow at the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security Bilal Saab has contributed a chapter to a forthcoming book on the challenges to security in the Middle East:

Middle East

Captains of Industry Series

Jun 4, 2014

The Future of American Space Launch

What is the future of American space launch? As defense and space budgets decline, what is the future of US involvement in space? Gwynne Shotwell, president and COO of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), gave an address entitled “The Future of American Space Launch” as part of the Atlantic Council Captains of Industry series on June […]

Event Recap

May 28, 2014

What’s Next? Missile Defense in 2030

After a full day of discussion on the regional aspects of missile defense, the conference’s capstone panel looked at missile defense in the world of 2030. James N. Miller, former under secretary of defense for policy and Atlantic Council board director, Robert Stein, a senior fellow of the US Defense Science Board, and Dean Wilkening, […]

Missile Defense Security & Defense

Event Recap

May 28, 2014

Missile Defense in the Asia Pacific

Speaking at the Atlantic Council’s Global Missile Defense Conference on May 28, Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr., Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced a plan to reinforce its regional missile defense arrays in Northeast Asia by deploying a $950 million Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to South Korea. This announcement […]

Indo-Pacific Missile Defense

Event Recap

May 28, 2014

Defense Cooperation in the Arabian Gulf

In his commencement address to West Point graduates today, President Obama described his vision of a foreign policy that is founded not only upon a strong military but also by a web of alliances and partnerships that better position the United States as a global leader. Allies and partners, like those of the GCC countries, […]

International Organizations Missile Defense

Event Recap

May 28, 2014

Missile Defense Agency: A Retrospective

In a unique and unprecedented event, the last three former directors of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA)—Lt. Gen. Ronald T. Kadish, USAF (Ret.), LTG Patrick O’Reilly, USA (Ret.), and Lt. Gen. Henry A. Obering, USAF (Ret.)—discussed the impact MDA has had in helping the US military acquire the necessary missile defense capabilities to compete in […]

Missile Defense Security & Defense