K. Scott McMahon

Biography

K. Scott McMahon is a senior defense research analyst at the RAND Corporation. He has extensive expertise in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, ballistic and cruise missile proliferation, missile defense, nuclear strategy, deterrence, regional and global threat assessments, arms control, export control, verification, intelligence collection, counterproliferation, and counterinsurgency operations. His analytic work has been credited with helping to shape national debates on cruise missile proliferation and defense. McMahon's recent work has focused on the roles and missions of U.S. military forces for domestic emergencies. He has also examined strategies for maintaining long-term U.S. relations with Iraq as well as intelligence support and requirements for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, with a focus on countering improvised explosive device (IED) threats to U.S. and coalition forces. In 2006, McMahon served as a counter-IED analyst at the U.S. Army Fourth Infantry Division, G2 Section in Baghdad, Iraq. McMahon has conducted related research on terrorist group development and use of weapons of mass destruction. Other work at RAND has included identification of intelligence requirements for U.S. homeland defense, homeland defense strategy, and an assessment of China's military modernization efforts. McMahon has served on two congressional advisory panels focused on U.S. homeland security and in 1998 he was a professional staff member of the U.S. House of Representatives. McMahon received his M.A. in international affairs from the School of International Service, American University.