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EVOLUTION OF THE DRIVERS FOR BALLISTIC MISSILE ACQUISITION

4 June 2025

Vienna 

On 4 June 2025, the FRS organised a side event in the margins of the HCoC Annual Regular Meeting.

AGENDA

In many regions, a number of countries are currently developing or acquiring ballistic missiles. In addition to geopolitical factors, technological developments are modifying the role of ballistic missiles in military strategy: on the one hand, they are increasingly precise and some have the ability to aim very specific targets, on the other hand, the generalisation of missile defence means that relatively simple short-range systems can lose their relevance.

This side event assessed the drivers of ballistic missile proliferation and explore the role of arms control and confidence building measures in the current context.

 

Introduction

  • Mr Stefan Tressing, Deputy Head of Division, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Export Control, European External Action Service (EEAS), European Union

  • Amb. Alex Wetzig Abdale, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile to the International Organisations in Vienna, HCoC Chair 2024-2025

  • Amb. Alejando Garofali Acosta, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the International Organisations in Vienna, HCoC Chair 2025-2026

 

Main session: Evolution of the Drivers for Ballistic Missile Acquisition

 MODERATOR:

  • Mr Alexandre Houdayer, Secretary General, FRS


PANELLISTS:

  • Prof. Sitki Egeli, Associate Professor, Izmir University of Economics

  • Dr Polina Sinovets, Head of Odessa Center for Nonproliferation

  • Dr Javed Alam, Research Associate, Centre for Air Power Studies, HCoC Youth Group

  • Ms Eva-Nour Repussard, Policy Fellow at BASIC, HCoC Youth Group

  • Ms Emmanuelle Maitre, Senior Research Fellow, FRS
April
2021
Issue Briefs

The HCoC and Latin America

Latin America is one of the regions with the highest level of support for the HCoC. This support reflects the historic commitment of the region in favour of disarmament and non-proliferation. The remaining four non-subscribing states – Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba and Mexico – have voiced concerns about the adoption of the Code outside the United Nations framework and its limited scope.

Read More »
February
2023
Research Papers

Hypersonic missiles: Evolution or revolution for missile non-proliferation and arms control instruments?

After listing major programmes and key drivers beyond the acquisition of these technologies, this paper considers their development under the prism of arms control, and analyses whether current mechanisms (non-proliferation arrangements, bilateral arms control treaties and confidence-building measures) dealing with missiles are adapted to these weapons.

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January
2019
Other publications

Ballistic missile proliferation: what should be the role of a small state?

On 15 January 2019, the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka (INSSSL) and the FRS held a South Asia Regional Seminar “Dealing with the missile threat in South Asia” with the support of the European Union. This explainer on ballistic missile proliferation explains a few key aspects of the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC) in relation to small states with special reference to Sri Lanka.

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