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Deal saves Europe's transport aircraft Following months of negotiations, seven European governments have reached a deal with EADS, the parent company of aircraft manufacturer Airbus, which should rescue the troubled A400M transport-aircraft project from failure. At a time when persistent gaps in European military capabilities are defying solutions, and with defence-budget cuts expected, many governments have begun to look more closely at multinational cooperation to generate improved capabilities at better value for the taxpayer. However, the A4
UAE leads Gulf nuclear-power plans The United Arab Emirates’ plan to become the first Arab country to operate a nuclear power plant came a step closer to fruition with the announcement in December 2009 that it had selected a Korean consortium to build four nuclear-power reactors. Though other Gulf states have in recent years declared their intention to explore nuclear power, the majority of their plans appear to be on hold. Fears that their nuclear-energy aspirations might be a preliminary step towards acquiring a nuclear deterrent against I
China's successful anti-missile test On 11 January 2010, China conducted a successful missile-interception test, marking its entry into the small group of nations with anti-ballistic missile (ABM) capabilities. Apart from China, only the United States and Russia have systems designed for missile interceptions outside the earth’s atmosphere. The low-key nature of Beijing’s announcement was a sign of both its cautious optimism about further ABM developments, and its understanding that it still has a vast amount of work to do before it can establ
United States struggles to craft Pakistan policy United States President Barack Obama is keenly aware that the problems of Afghanistan and Pakistan are closely related. But while his plans in Afghanistan are relatively clear, he has struggled to craft a successful policy towards Pakistan. Rather than being viewed as a reliable partner promoting Pakistan’s security and prosperity, the US is viewed by Pakistanis with mistrust and suspicion. If Obama fails to strike the right balance, the risk is that both anti-American sentiment and the dangers emanating fr
Receding prospects for Middle East peace Efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian issue stalled in 2009, with both sides preoccupied with tackling domestic imperatives and restricted in their bargaining power by hardliners in their leadership. Attempts by the Obama administration to persuade the parties to make short-term sacrifices for the good of the long-term peace process have produced few results, save to demonstrate the limits of Washington’s influence in the region.
Military Balance 2010 The Military Balance 2010 contains region-by-region analysis of the major military and economic developments affecting defence and security policies and the trade in weapons and other military equipment. Comprehensive tables detail major military training activities, UN and non-UN deployments, and give data on key equipment holdings and defence economics, as well as defence-expenditure trends over a ten-year period.
Survival Volume 52, No 1 Volume 52 Number 1 of Survival, the Institute's bi-monthly journal, has been published.
Serbia surges forward A year ago Serbia’s prospects looked somewhat grim. Blocked on the road to European integration, it was bracing itself for a predicted economic contraction of up to 10%. Its citizens needed visas to travel to most countries outside the region. In a short period, however, things have changed so much that Serbian leaders have taken to claiming that their country is retaking its place as the natural leader of the region.
Rising extremism in South Asia The trend towards violence and extremism in South Asia moved inexorably upwards in 2009. Afghanistan and Pakistan experienced major increases in terrorist incidents, often involving suicide bombings against high-profile urban targets including hotels frequented by foreign nationals and installations belonging to the security forces. Though governments have begun to take small practical steps to manage the problem more effectively, these are unlikely to have much impact in the short term. The likelihood of c
Copenhagen Accord faces first test The global agreement on climate change reached in Copenhagen in December 2009 faces its first test at the end of January when individual countries submit schedules for reducing carbon emissions over the next 10 years. Their commitment to do so was part of the Copenhagen Accord to which heads of government signed up following two frenetic weeks of bargaining. The Accord fell far short of the goal set two years earlier in Bali, Indonesia to produce a legally global treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which
Building Asia's Security As global economic and strategic weight shifts to Asia, countries in the region are considering how to protect themselves better in the uncertain strategic landscape of the twenty-first century. Alliances with the United States remain pivotal, but China is an ever more dominant presence. Faced with this, and with growing transnational threats such as terrorism, energy insecurity and infectious diseases, Asian governments are increasingly interested in multilateral security cooperation.
IISS Newsletter December 2009 View the Winter 2009 IISS Newsletter
Strategic Comments Volume 15 - Issue 10 Volume 15, Issue 10 of Strategic Comments, the Institute's online journal, has just been published. The first article, Obama's war in Afghanistan, is free to all readers, while the remaining four are accessible to IISS members or Strategic Comments subscribers. A pay-per-view facility is also available. The charge for each article is £5
Survival Volume 51, No 6 Volume 51, Number 6 of Survival, the Institute's bi-monthly journal, has been published.
Strategic Comments Volume 15 - Issue 9 Volume 15, Issue 9 of Strategic Comments, the Institute's online journal, has just been published. The first article, G20 makes its mark, is free to all readers, while the remaining four are accessible to IISS members or Strategic Comments subscribers. A pay-per-view facility is also available. The charge for each article is £5
Strategic Comments Volume 15 - Issue 8 Volume 15, Issue 8 of Strategic Comments, the Institute's online journal, has just been published. The first article, Signs of Myanmar's emergence from diplomatic isolation, is free to all readers, while the remaining four - Obama's new missile-defence strategy, Long wait for EU reform ends, The Iranian nuclear crisis and China's military might on display - are accessible to IISS members or Strategic Comments subscribers. A pay-per-view facility is also available. The charge for each article is £5
Building Peace After War Mats Berdal The widespread practice of intervention by outside actors aimed at building 'sustainable peace' within societies ravaged by war has been a striking feature of the post-Cold War era. But, at a time when more peacekeepers are deployed around the world than at any other point in history, is the international will to intervene beginning to wane? And how capable are the systems that exist for planning and deploying 'peacebuilding' missions of fulfilling the increasingly complex tasks set for them?
Survival Volume 51, No 5 Volume 51, Number 5 of Survival, the Institute's bi-monthly journal, has been published.