Combat Support Operations

Research conducted by: RAND Arroyo Center; RAND National Security Research Division; RAND Project AIR FORCE

All Items (39)

RESEARCH BRIEF

Addressing Commanders' Needs for Information on "Soft" Factors — Dec 5, 2011

Describes a framework for thinking about commanders' critical information needs in countersurgency operations and offers practical ways for commanders to integrate influence activities into combined arms planning and assessment.

RESEARCH BRIEF

Standing Up a More Capable Joint Task Force Headquarters — Nov 18, 2011

The U.S. Army needs to improve its ability to command and control joint, interagency, and multinational forces in diverse environments, and to prepare Army headquarters to perform as components of, or headquarters for, joint task forces.

REPORT

Enhancing Army Joint Force Headquarters Capabilities — Jul 7, 2010

The research in this document is aimed at helping the Army improve its ability to command and control joint, interagency, and multinational forces to accomplish diverse missions in a range of settings. A particular emphasis was placed on suggesting innovative ways to prepare Army headquarters, including Divisions, Corps, and Theater Armies, to perform as components of, or headquarters for, joint task forces.

REPORT

A Repair Network Concept for Air Force Maintenance: Conclusions from Analysis of C-130, F-16, and KC-135 Fleets — Mar 8, 2010

Recent Office of the Secretary of Defense planning guidance directs the services to plan for high levels of engagement and deployed operations, although their nature, locations, durations, and intensity may be unknown. This book synthesizes the results of the initial phases of a study of the basic issues and premises on which the Air Force plans, organizes, and operates its logistics enterprise.

REPORT

Understanding Commanders' Information Needs for Influence Operations — Nov 22, 2009

In order to improve the effectiveness of combined arms planning and assessment operations, ground commanders need information pertaining to cultural and other "soft" factors and practical ways to integrate such information into influence operations activities.

REPORT

Combat Support Execution Planning and Control: An Assessment of Initial Implementations in Air Force Exercises — Feb 24, 2009

As part of a continuing effort to improve combat support execution planning and control (CSC2), a RAND-Air Force assessment team observed CSC2 activities during two command post exercises in 2004. The exercises revealed areas, such as organizational structure, systems and tools, and training and education, in which a proposed future CSC2 architecture could improve productivity and enhance decisionmaking.

REPORT

Sense and Respond Logistics: Integrating Prediction, Responsiveness, and Control Capabilities — Nov 22, 2006

This monograph describes some of the research that has been conducted on the military combat support system. It identifies the elements of sense and respond combat support and shows what is necessary to implement the concept. The monograph points out the need for both predictive tools and responsive systems working together. It also describes elements of one of the key enabler of sense and response combat support, combat support command…

RESEARCH BRIEF

"Sense and Respond" Capabilities Can Make the Air Force Combat Support System More Agile — Nov 16, 2006

This research brief summarizes a promising approach -- sense and respond combat support -- to distributing materiel to fielded forces as they need them and to adapting quickly to changing operational needs.

REPORT

Strategic Analysis of Air National Guard Combat Support and Reachback Functions — Aug 18, 2006

Evaluates options for Air National Guard combat support and reachback missions in four Air Force mission areas to support the Air and Space Expeditionary Force, investigates transformational opportunities for the ANG that would add the most value in achieving the desired operational effects, and considers how changes in unit and above-unit policies are likely to affect Total Force capabilities.

RESEARCH BRIEF

Transforming Combat Support in the Air National Guard Would Support Air Force Deployment and Sustainment Goals — Aug 16, 2006

This research brief summarizes an evaluation of four options for transforming Air National Guard combat support mission areas to enhance support to the Air and Space Expeditionary Force.

REPORT

Network-Centric Operations Case Study: Air-to-Air Combat With and Without Link 16 — Mar 22, 2005

Link 16 enables network-centric operations (NCO) in ways that voice-only communications cannot. How does this increase in effectiveness translate into success in battle? More than 12,000 sorties were flown in the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System Operations Special Project, where Link 16 and voice-only communications were evaluated. Using NCO metrics, the authors gauged improvements provided by Link 16. The almost threefold…

REPORT

Centralized Maintenance Can Improve USAF Combat Support — Mar 7, 2005

Despite many advantages, reorganizing the U.S. Air Force into an Air and Space Expeditionary Force places serious demands on combat support infrastructure. Consolidating intermediate maintenance at forward support locations may lessen the burden.

REPORT

Supporting Air and Space Expeditionary Forces: Lessons from Operation Iraqi Freedom — Feb 15, 2005

An analysis of combat support experiences associated with Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) that compares these experiences with those associated with Joint Task Force Noble Anvil (JTF NA), the U.S. component of Operation Allied Force, in Serbia, and the first 100 days of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), in Afghanistan. Its objectives were to indicate the performance of U.S. Air force combat support in JTF NA, OEF, and OIF, and examine how…

REPORT

Sustainment of Army Forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom: Battlefield Logistics and Effects on Operations — Dec 31, 2004

This monograph describes how Army forces were sustained during Operation Iraqi Freedom, examines how well this support performed, and discusses the effects on operations with an emphasis on the period from the start of ground combat to the fall of Baghdad. The findings have implications for the design of the logistics system, logistics process improvement efforts, future force design and warfighting concepts, and the acquisition of end…

REPORT

Supporting Air and Space Expeditionary Forces: Analysis of Combat Support Basing Options — Dec 31, 2003

The U.S. Air Force is committed to the Air and Space Expeditionary Force concept and the transformation that is necessary for it to project power quickly to any region of the world. Forward positioning of heavy war reserve materiel (WRM) in optimal forward support locations (FSLs) is key to the Air Force’s ability to respond to a wide variety of scenarios. This monograph evaluates a set of global FSL basing and transportation options…

REPORT

A Framework for Evolving Agile Combat Support Concepts to Meet NATO Reaction Air Force Operational Requirements — Dec 31, 2000

The authors explore a planning framework that could be used in evolving the Agile Combat Support and mobility systems of participating partners to meet the operational needs of the NATO Reaction Air Force.

RESEARCH BRIEF

Supporting LANTIRN in the Expeditionary Aerospace Force — Dec 31, 2000

RAND's EAF combat support research evaluates how alternative support structures, technologies, and methods affect EAF capabilities.

REPORT

Supporting Expeditionary Aerospace Forces: New Agile Combat Support Postures — Jan 1, 2000

This report addresses support of emerging Air Force employment strategies associated with Expeditionary Aerospace Forces (EAFs).

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