Maintaining a military that is prepared to face uncertain future security challenges often requires the acquisition and procurement of new and technologically advanced equipment, which is a major expense for any nation. For decades, RAND has researched and evaluated military acquisition and procurement activities, providing essential recommendations to allow military decisionmakers to manage costs and streamline the acquisition process more effectively.
REPORT
Nearly all Air Force electronics are tested and repaired using automatic test systems, most of which were designed and built for specific aging weapon systems and are beset by increasing hardware and software obsolescence. The Air Force is planning to modernize these capabilities by rehosting the testing on modern, common families of test equipment. This report focuses on the economic aspect of the rehosting decision.
REPORT
This document examines current supplier relationship management (SRM) practices in the Army, identifies SRM best practices the Army may wish to consider, and focuses on how the Army can gain better performance and reduce total costs by improving its management of and partnering with large defense suppliers.
REPORT
Together this and two companion monographs demonstrate a method, model, and simulation that the U.S. Army can use to analyze and manage portfolios at any stage of the research and development process. This monograph expands and applies RAND's portfolio analysis and management (PortMan) method to address the problem of selecting Army engineering and manufacturing development projects in order to develop affordable systems.
REPORT
The body armor that U.S. forces wear in Afghanistan is effective against ballistic threats, but it is heavy in weight and makes up a large portion of the load that soldiers and marines carry on patrol and into combat. This report summarizes a congressionally directed study of how body armor weight can be reduced.
REPORT
When a weapon system ceases production, the tooling not needed for sustainment that cannot be repurposed must either be disposed of or stored. Storage is not free, but system-specific tooling might become necessary for a restart, and starting from scratch can be expensive, although some tools cost more to store than they are worth. The authors examine these tooling retention issues for the C-17 cargo aircraft.
REPORT
To summarize trends and identify factors contributing to bid protest activity and outcomes in Air Force procurements, the authors assembled data from Air Force administrative databases on procurement activity and protests and developed statistical models to analyze bid protests.
REPORT
Recent bid protests have caused large disruptions in resource and operational planning in the Air Force, even leading to the cancellation of the Combat Search and Rescue helicopter program. Some tactics that the Air Force could use to counter such protests in the future include simplifying and clarifying selection criteria and priorities, explaining how its cost estimates are developed, and involving attorneys in external review of bids.
REPORT
Recent bid protests have caused large disruptions in resource and operational planning in the Air Force, even leading to the cancellation of the Combat Search and Rescue helicopter program. Some tactics that the Air Force could use to counter such protests in the future include simplifying and clarifying selection criteria and priorities, explaining how its cost estimates are developed, and involving attorneys in external review of bids.
REPORT
Reviews a 2003 RAND evaluation of the risks and costs of the United States having little or no competition among companies involved with designing, developing, and producing fixed-wing military aircraft and related systems; examines changes in industrial-base structure and capabilities that have taken hold since that analysis was performed; and assesses how these and future changes will affect the industrial base.
REPORT
RAND's three federally funded research and development centers apply research capital they have developed over the years to help decisionmakers solve problems and often save money as well. This publication lists and briefly summarizes some RAND projects undertaken over the past ten years that have helped save the government money or that have identified ways to do so. Amounts saved are estimated.
RESEARCH BRIEF
To design a new naval submarine domestically, Australia's industry and Government will need about 1,000 skilled draftsmen and engineers. Cultivating this workforce could take 15-20 years; partnering with foreign designers could expedite the process.
NEWS RELEASE
When it comes to designing a new submarine, Australia has considerable expertise, but some gaps still exist.
REPORT
The Royal Australian Navy intends to acquire 12 new submarines to replace its Collins-class vessels. RAND assessed the domestic engineering and design skills that Australian industry and government will need to design the new submarine, identified the skills they currently possess, and evaluated how to fill any gaps between the two.
RESEARCH BRIEF
Describes the methodology used to develop resource allocation and forward positioning recommendations for the sustainment stock portion of Army pre-positioned stocks, given a specific scenario and budget.
REPORT
Readiness problems associated with newly fielded systems are relevant to both combat effectiveness and public perception. When new equipment comes into the Army, it is often fielded on a unit-by-unit basis, so the "initial" fielding can take many years. This report demonstrates the feasibility of using demands from earlier fieldings to improve push packages as equipment is fielded to successive units.
REPORT
Large, complex submarine design and construction programs demand personnel with unique skills and capabilities supplemented with practical experiences in their areas of expertise. Recognizing the importance of past experiences for successful program management, the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth of Australia asked the RAND Corporation to develop a set of lessons learned from previous submarine…
RESEARCH BRIEF
Examines the desirable and undesirable trade-offs that U.S. Army decisionmakers must make regarding commonality in military equipment.
RESEARCH BRIEF
Examines whether there is a less costly medical distribution structure for U.S. Central Command that would maintain or improve performance.
REPORT
This volume presents a set of lessons learned from the United Kingdom's Astute submarine program that could help inform future program managers. Designing and building a submarine requires careful management and oversight and a delegation of roles and responsibilities that recognizes which party — the shipbuilder or the government — is best positioned to manage risks.
REPORT
The U.S. Navy asked the RAND Corporation to develop a set of lessons learned from previous submarine programs that could help inform future program managers. This volume presents lessons from three U.S. submarine programs. The RAND team looked at how the programs were managed, the issues that affected management decisions, and the outcomes of those decisions. An overarching lesson from the three programs is the importance of program…
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