ASPI suggests: welcome to the Iron Dome
29 Nov 2012|

Welcome back for another instalment of new reports, articles and events in the defence, strategy and security world.

Articles

Iron Dome has been seen as a successful missile defence system during recent violence between Israel and Hamas. But according to the Wall Street Journal, it actually took many years of lobbying (and, by the developer’s admission, sidestepping bureaucracy) to get Israeli and eventual US support for the project.

Iron Dome system in Ashdod intercepts a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip.

For the defence economists out there, James Hasik has an interesting post on his own blog on the economics of the Iron Dome. Did Israel get value for money?

Meanwhile, Robert Farley explains on The Diplomat why the Iron Dome won’t work in Asia, and Avnish Patel over at RUSI looks at the benefits of partnership between defence industry to develop missile defence systems.

Turning now to cyber matters, Land Warfare Studies Centre’s Clint Arizmendi has a new Blogs of War post on the blurred line between ‘hacktivism’ and terrorism.

Events

Professor Richard Rigby will speaking on China’s new leadership and what it means for the world at AIIA offices in Canberra on Monday 3 December at 5.30pm.

Brisbane-based readers, Australia’s Ambassador to Iraq, Lyndall Sachs, will be talking about diplomacy at the frontline at the University of Queensland, Wednesday 5 December at 6pm (canapés from 5.15pm).

Adelaide-based readers, Dr Pamela Schulz, lecturer at the Magill Campus in the School of Communication, International Studies and Languages, will deliver a presentation on perceptions of Defence in traditional and social media on Monday 3 December.

Image: Nehemia Gershuni-Aylho.