James S. Chow

Photo of James Chow

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or e-mail media@rand.org.

Assistant to the RAND President for Research on Counterterrorism
Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, M.S. in aeronautics and astronautics, Stanford University; B.S. in mechanical engineering, University of California, San Diego

Overview

Biography

James S. Chow is a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation, where he serves as assistant to the RAND president for research on counterterrorism. He has studied a variety of issues in the defense and homeland security fields, from aircraft and weapons-related force mix issues to detailed modeling and simulation of aircraft and air defense interactions. He recently led an effort examining mixes of future long-range strike capabilities. Other recent research includes studying system trades improving aircraft survivability, looking at new roles for unmanned air vehicles, and examining the threat to commercial aviation from shoulder-fired missiles. He has developed and worked on several combat models to aid in the study of topics such as air defense, route planning for low observable aircraft, and mine countermeasures. Chow received his M.S. in aeronautics and astronautics and his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.

Previous Positions

Associate Director, RAND Project AIR FORCE; Manager, Technology and Applied Sciences Group, RAND Corporation; Research Staff Member, Institute for Defense Analyses; Fellowship Researcher, NASA Ames Research Center

Recent Projects

  • Aircraft survivability
  • Counterinsurgency systems
  • Protecting commercial aviation from shoulder-fired missiles
  • Future long-range strike
  • Future unmanned aircraft systems

Selected Publications

James S. Chow et al., Protecting Commercial Aviation Against the Shoulder-Fired Missile Threat, RAND Corporation (OP-106-RC), 2005

Recent Media Appearances

Interviews: Associated Press; CNN; Financial Times; Fox; NBC; PBS; Washington Post