Research insights into aircraft selection and maintenance, crew training, test facilities, and airspace access are valuable to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and U.S. and allied air forces. RAND studies have also examined military air power and aerospace industry issues.
Research conducted by:
RAND Project AIR FORCE;
NSRD National Defense Research Institute;
RAND Europe
Research Briefs (23)
This brief provides an overview of a RAND study to support the U.S. Forest Service in determining the composition of a fleet of airtankers, scoopers, and helicopters that would minimize the total social costs of wildfires.
The UK currently has the industrial skills needed to develop, produce and maintain its military aircraft, but predicted future demand for design engineering activity is insufficient to sustain a number of key skills beyond the 2010-2019 decade.
This research brief describes a RAND examination of the costs and benefits of a proposed consolidation of Air Force test and evaluation facilities that had raised concerns among a broad set of interested parties, including members of Congress.
This research brief looks at the role of airlift in U.S. counterinsurgency operations and the types of investment in new airlift assets that may be needed to meet the unique challenges of these operations.
This research brief describes a new tool for forecasting the maintenance workloads of aging Air Force fleets.
This research brief summarizes the cost-benefit analysis of expediting programmed depot maintenance (PDM) for F-15s by the U.S. Air Force using a methodology based on declining aircraft valuation, relating the value of expedited PDM to aircraft age.
This research brief describes how improvements in processes, organization, doctrine, training, and systems can help improve the effective and efficient movement of equipment and personnel in contingency operations.
This research brief summarizes trends in the cost of systems engineering and program management for military aircraft and guided weapon systems and factors driving those costs.
This research brief recommends ways the Air Force can strengthen and improve its Aircraft Structural Integrity Program.
This research brief describes an analysis that assessed alternatives for recapitalization of the ageing KC-135 air tanker fleet.
This research brief describes work documented in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle End-to-End Support Considerations (MG-350-AF).
This research brief describes work documented in Air Power Against Terror: America’s Conduct of Operation Enduring Freedom (MG-166-CENTAF).
This research brief describes work documented in Aging Aircraft Repair-Replacement Decisions with Depot-Level Capacity as a Policy Choice Variable (MG-241-AF).
Summary of "Aerospace Operations Against Elusive Ground Targets," which seeks to identify concepts and technologies that could improve the United States Air Force's capability to detect, classify, recognize, and defeat elusive targets.
Suggests that the dramatic contraction of the aerospace industry may indeed jeopardize the future design and production of innovative and cost-effective military fighter aircraft.
Focused on understanding how the acquisition innovations have affected program outcomes so far and on identifying lessons learned that might be applied to improve DoD acquisition strategies.
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