The fact that Iron Dome was only used against just over one third of the projectiles fired is a measure of its advanced fire control computers rather than its limitations.

BBC: How did Iron Dome perform over course of Gaza clash?

But against all the odds, on the 16 July 1969, just 30 months after the fatal fire - the first Saturn V rocket attempting to carry men from the surface of one world to another rose into the Florida sky.

BBC: The magic of Apollo

In Kosovo, where Americans and Europeans co-operated closely and successfully, both diplomatically and militarily, the Europeans were plain embarrassed at how little they could contribute to the air campaign against Serbia and just how few troops they could muster quickly enough to police the cease-fire.

ECONOMIST: More useful work for Europeans. But will they do it right?