IMDA – Israel Missile Defense Association

Our Mission – “Working to Make Missile Defense a Reality”

The Problem:  Israel’s enemies are increasingly turning to missiles and rockets as terror weapons.  The unprecedented use of missiles during the 2nd Lebanon War bypassed Israel’s “technology edge,” dangerously undercutting the principle that has been a bulwark of its defense for over 50 years. 

Why IMDA: Effective Missile Defense Policy Requires Public Engagement
Responding to this trend means planning new and robust military strategies.  Comprehensive, effective missile defense is a critical element of this plan.
Comprehensive missile defense means combining attack operations, passive defense and active defense within an integrated, optimized missile defense plan.  Active missile defense is an essential part of this picture.  A variety of demonstrated, highly effective, active missile defense systems are available, and others are under development. 
Implementing comprehensive missile defense means assigning serious priority, and addressing the issue outside the “business as usual” framework. 
This kind of urgent policy engagement can only occur in an environment of intense public awareness, discussion and support.  This need led to establishing the Israel Missile Defense Association.

Who Are We? 
A non-profit, non-partisan public policy organization, IMDA is dedicated to providing a forum for public education, discussion and professional studies focusing on defense of Israel against missile and rocket threats from terror organizations and enemy states. 
IMDA’s Board of Directors and Advisory Board include some of Israel’s most prominent leaders, with extensive experience in national security and missile defense.  We are dedicated to help support the serious public awareness needed to keep missile defense a national priority.

What Are We Doing?
As part of our mission, we serve as a clearing house for accurate, timely information that can help provide a foundation for focused public awareness and support of missile defense as an important national priority.
Our high-intensity activity plan is designed to ensure this kind of information has a frequent presence in the public domain, in many different forms.
IMDA activities in Israel and the United States include:

• Regular, frequent public forums detailing the threat, what is being done, and what could be done
• Commissioned studies, publicly reported, on a broad range of missile defense topics
• Cooperation and coordination with members of Knesset and the Israeli government
• A new, annual international conference bringing researchers and organizations to Israel, opening channels of discussion, and helping assure government decisions respond to the realities of available defense systems
• Private working groups bringing together Israel’s local missile defense community to build consensus and exchange ideas and information
• Frequent briefings and updates to the Israeli and international press corps
• Reciprocal relationships with missile defense-related organizations worldwide, inviting them to Israel to speak and meet members of the government
• Scholarship fund for outstanding Israeli university students supporting the next generation of engineers and scientists in the technical areas related to missile defense