Military Affairs

Military affairs comprise a range of topics from military personnel and veterans to equipment and facilities—as well as the methods, doctrines, organizational concepts, and technologies that support the military's strategic or tactical goals. RAND provides objective policy recommendations in all of these areas and more.

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

Reports (2012)

Patient Privacy, Consent, and Identity Management in Health Information Exchange: Issues for the Military Health System — May 22, 2013

Identifies gaps in research, policy, and practice involving patient privacy, consent, and identity management that need to be addressed to improve the quality and efficiency of care in the Military Health System through health information exchange.

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.

Are U.S. Military Interventions Contagious over Time? Intervention Timing and Its Implications for Force Planning — May 17, 2013

This report challenges the assumption that the timing of deployments and their distribution over time are serially independent, arguing that military interventions occur in temporal clusters driven by the number of interventions in the recent past.

Brandishing Cyberattack Capabilities — May 13, 2013

This report explores whether and when U.S. cyberattack capabilities can be demonstrated, then goes on to examine difficulties and drawbacks of doing so. Such brandishing is no panacea and could even backfire if misinterpreted.

Setting Priorities in the Age of Austerity: British, French, and German Experiences — May 6, 2013

Examines the British, French, and German armies' approaches to accommodating significant budget cuts while attempting to sustain their commitment to full spectrum operations.

Assessing Aegis Program Transition to an Open-Architecture Model — May 3, 2013

To reduce costs and take advantage of commercial technology, the U.S. Navy is pursuing open-architecture software and other improvements to its Aegis combat system. This report examines the potential benefits and challenges of this new approach.

A Computational Model of Public Support for Insurgency and Terrorism: A Prototype for More-General Social-Science Modeling — May 1, 2013

Details a prototype computational model that seeks to explain, as a function of contributing factors, the extent of public support for insurgency and its use of terrorism. The model is believed to be reusable and suitable for composition.

The Strategic Benefits, Risks, and Costs of U.S. Military Presence Overseas — Apr 29, 2013

world map showing U.S. overseas bases

While the DoD is under pressure to reduce costs, meaningful savings from overseas posture changes would require choosing from a small set of options, each presenting benefit trade-offs. U.S. military presence contributes to assurance of allies, deterrence, contingency responsiveness, and security cooperation.

Providing for the Casualties of War: The American Experience Through World War II — Apr 29, 2013

This history looks at how humanity has cared for its war casualties and veterans, from ancient times through the aftermath of World War II.

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.

Maximizing Throughput at Soft Airfields — Apr 23, 2013

Shows that there is an optimum landing weight that allows for maximum cargo delivery on soft landing fields. This optimum weight is constant and independent of both aircraft ramp weight and the ability of the soil to resist compressive loads.

Virtual Collaboration for a Distributed Enterprise — Apr 22, 2013

Addresses the challenges to team effectiveness caused by geographic diversity through an assessment of three modes of virtual collaboration.

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.

Commercial Intratheater Airlift: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Use in U.S. Central Command — Apr 8, 2013

Intratheater airlift delivers critical and time-sensitive supplies to deployed forces, but is it cost effective to use commercial, rather than organic Air Force, aircraft to supply this airlift?

Assessment of Beddown Alternatives for the F-35 — Apr 3, 2013

RAND assessed the savings potential of reconfiguring the U.S. Air Force's combat-coded F-35s into larger squadrons and adjusting the Primary Aerospace Vehicle Authorized mix across the Active and Reserve Components.

Assessment of Beddown Alternatives for the F-35: Executive Summary — Apr 3, 2013

RAND assessed the savings potential of reconfiguring the U.S. Air Force's combat-coded F-35s into larger squadrons and adjusting the Primary Aerospace Vehicle Authorized mix across the Active and Reserve Components.

Managing September 12th in Cyberspace: Presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats — Mar 21, 2013

Testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats on March 21, 2013.

Managing September 12th in Cyberspace — Mar 20, 2013

Red network cables

The U.S., while worried about a "9/11 in cyberspace," also ought to worry about what a "9/12 in cyberspace" would look like. The consequences of the reaction to a cyberattack could be more serious than the consequences of the original action itself.

After the Withdrawal: A Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan — Mar 19, 2013

Tarin Kot, Afghanistan chief of police

At the time of the U.S. withdrawal, there are several militant groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan that threaten U.S. security and its interests overseas. How can we avoid the inherent risks in the drawdown?

Syria as an Arena of Strategic Competition — Mar 18, 2013

free_syrian_army_soldier_pre_baath_flag_6957563747_7e520af1f0_z

Less than two years since the beginning of the uprising in Syria, localized protests have morphed into full-blown civil conflict, and external actors have become involved as well. RAND conducted an analytic exercise to generate a greater understanding of the parties and issues in play, including the actors, their motivations, and potential impact of their activities.

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