Global Security Environment

Global security includes military and diplomatic measures that nations and international organizations such as the United Nations and NATO take to ensure mutual safety and security. RAND provides analyses that help policymakers understand political, military, and economic trends around the world; the sources of potential regional conflict; and emerging threats to the global security environment.

Research conducted by: RAND Europe; RAND Arroyo Center; RAND Project AIR FORCE; RAND National Security Research Division; International Programs; Center for Global Risk and Security

All Items (907)

Report

How Would a Nuclear-Armed Tehran Behave? — May 17, 2013

Satellite Image of Bushehr Light Water Reactor

Iran may feel more confident and gain a sense of prestige from a nuclear capability, but other factors, such as the regional geopolitical environment and Iran’s political, military, and economic capabilities, will have a greater bearing on Iranian calculations.

Commentary

Libya Needs U.S. Help for Security — May 13, 2013

Libyans poured into the streets of Benghazi to celebrate the revolution

By adopting a laissez-faire policy toward security in Libya after the war, the United States and its allies who helped the Libyan rebels topple Gadhafi share in the responsibility for the country’s current predicament, writes Christopher Chivvis.

Commentary

How to Avert a Sea Catastrophe with China — May 8, 2013

5878590078_c3f4ca398b_b

The United States should propose and pursue an East Asian maritime partnership, inviting to join all states that share its interest in assured access and passage, writes David Gompert.

Commentary

Enhancing Security Cooperation at the Korea-U.S. Summit — May 7, 2013

ROK Navy sailors wave U.S. and ROK flags to welcome Los Angeles-class submarine USS Cheyenne to Busan

The U.S.-South Korean Extended Deterrence Policy Committee was setup to deter North Korean threats. The upcoming summit should ratify the progress of this effort, reassuring both the Korean and U.S. people that these threats are being managed.

Multimedia

Media Conference Call on Pakistan Elections — May 6, 2013

RAND Pakistan experts Jonah Blank and Seth Jones hosted a news media conference call to discuss the May 2013 Pakistan general elections and their potential effect on U.S.-Pakistan relations. Media Relations Officer Joe Dougherty moderated the call.

Commentary

Thinking Through Options on North Korea — May 3, 2013

nuclear war game maze

Obviously it will not always be possible to avoid the use of force and the risk of escalation. But the US and its allies cannot take the possibility of military responses against nuclear regional adversaries off the table without limiting its own strategic options, eroding its influence, and threatening its security.

Report

Facilitating Information Sharing Across the International Space Community: Lessons from Behavioral Science — May 2, 2013

Based on a review of relevant research literature, this report examines ways to encourage the space community to share information that will help its members navigate increasing numbers of satellites and space debris.

Commentary

The Syrian Chemical Weapons Conundrum — May 1, 2013

Marines practicing a chemical, biological, or radiological attack

Dealing with chemical weapons in Syria is a complicated and dangerous task, but nowhere near the challenge of securing a nuclear arsenal in a country consumed by crisis, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

News Release

China's Growing Sea Power Can Be Countered by Technology, Maritime Cooperation — Apr 26, 2013

The United States should respond to China's increasing sea power in the Western Pacific region by exploiting technology to make its naval forces less vulnerable, while also pursuing regional maritime security cooperation that includes China.

Research Brief

The Future of Sea Power in the Western Pacific — Apr 26, 2013

Explores the future relationship between U.S. and Chinese sea power in the context of historical sea-power rivalries and recent technological developments, and discusses the potential of pursuing maritime security cooperation in the Western Pacific.

Report

China's Growing Sea Power Can Be Countered by Technology, Maritime Cooperation — Apr 26, 2013

Postcard of USS Connecticut (BB-18) 1906

The United States should respond to China's increasing sea power in the Western Pacific region by exploiting technology to make its naval forces less vulnerable, while also pursuing regional maritime security cooperation that includes China.

Commentary

Why Iran Is Trying to Save the Syrian Regime — Apr 24, 2013

Door with poster of Ahmadinejad, Assad, and Nasrallah

Tehran views Syria as a strategic gateway to the Arab world, a bulwark against American and Israeli power, and, perhaps most importantly, a crucial link to Lebanese Hezbollah, writes Alireza Nader.

Commentary

Obama-Park Summit a Critical Opportunity for the US-Korea Alliance — Apr 17, 2013

Secretary Kerry Meets With South Korean President Park Geun-hye

To preserve and protect the peace and freedom that has seen Asia develop into a third engine of the global economy, the United States and South Korea should take steps to deepen their security cooperation in three areas: bilateral alliance management, defense force modernization, and improved regional diplomatic coordination.

Commentary

When Armies Divide: Securing Nuclear Arsenals During Internal Upheavals — Apr 12, 2013

An army truck MZKT 79221 under missile Topol-M

With an army divided, any type of foreign intervention would be complex and fraught with extraordinary risk—success would be a long shot. But the loss of a nuclear weapon or fissile material would change the world.

Commentary

A Russia-China Alliance Brewing? — Apr 12, 2013

a handshake

Three major areas appear to have been the focus of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin's recent summit: managing expectations about the relationship; expanding bilateral trade in energy and arms; and cooperation on international security affairs.

Blog

A New Book from Brian Michael Jenkins: When Armies Divide — Apr 11, 2013

Cover of Brian Michael Jenkins' "When Armies Divide" book

In 1961, four French generals launched a coup against the government of President Charles de Gaulle and conceivably might have ended up with a nuclear device. In When Armies Divide, RAND's Brian Michael Jenkins uses this unusual chapter in history to discuss what can happen when nuclear states are threatened by revolts, coups, and civil wars.

Commentary

A Delicate Deterrence Dance with North Korea — Apr 11, 2013

ROK guards in the DMZ

How does Washington signal tenacity to a pugnacious Pyongyang and demonstrate resolve to a jittery Seoul, all without inadvertently triggering an escalatory spiral?

Report

When Armies Divide: The Security of Nuclear Arsenals During Revolts, Coups, and Civil Wars — Apr 11, 2013

This book examines the security of nuclear arsenals during revolts, coups, and civil wars.

Blog

Korea Tensions Different from Previous 'Normal Crises,' RAND Experts Tell Media — Apr 9, 2013

DPRK Kumsusan Memorial Palace

Three RAND Corporation researchers discussed the regional and global implications of the recent flurry of bluster and provocation emanating from North Korea, during a conference call April 9 with reporters.

Multimedia

Media Conference Call on Escalating Tensions on the Korean Peninsula — Apr 9, 2013

RAND Asia experts Bruce Bennett, Andrew Scobell and David Shlapak hosted a news media conference call to discuss the escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula. Media Relations Officer Joe Dougherty moderated the call.

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