Organizing, training, and equipping armed forces for combat is essential to ensure their success in the field. RAND research provides military decisionmakers with information and analyses to implement effective support, training, and acquisition policies that ensure the highest level of operational readiness, even in the face of increasingly fluid combat environments.
Report
Explores an area in which the Department of Defense can operate smarter with its proliferating unmanned aircraft systems fleet.
Report
RAND analysts posit that federal budget deficit pressure may result in further Defense Department reductions, and suggest starting from a strategy basis in determining cuts, prioritizing challenges, and identifying where to accept more risk.
Research Brief
Current tracking of language, regional expertise, and culture training and capabilities provides limited support for military decisionmaking.
Report
This report addresses questions concerning the U.S. Department of Defense's ability to measure and track the language, regional expertise, and culture training and capabilities of general purpose forces.
Commentary
Despite the fears of some, but in line with the experience of every other institution, both in the US and abroad, that has experienced such a transition, there have been no significant problems, writes Bernard Rostker.
Report
An evaluation of potential logistics applications for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) determines whether they are technically feasible, operationally feasible, and more cost-effective than other options. Six factors are identified that can be used to compare UAS and non-UAS based solutions to logistics tasks.
Report
Looks at the feasibility of using demands for sustainment parts experienced by initial equipment fieldings to improve parts availability as the equipment is fielded to successive units.
Commentary
As America embarks on a tough strategic journey in the aftermath of Iraq, and contends with an ailing economy, it is wise to be mindful of the difference between hope and fact, writes Paula G. Thornhill.
Report
Reallocating C-130 maintenance workloads between mission-generation units and centralized repair facilities offers efficiency and effectiveness benefits to the Air Force, and integrated maintenance concepts may offer additional benefits.
Report
Over the past decade, U.S. Marine Corps intelligence has had to tailor its organization to meet the evolving demands of the operational environment. A broad review of its design examined how to align it efficiently and effectively with current and future missions and functions.
Report
Air Force range managers schedule the infrastructure and airspace needed for realistic testing and training activities, which requires adequate information about the proposed maneuvers, the acceptable context, and understanding of the goals.
Research Brief
Summarizes results of a RAND Corporation study on sexual orientation and U.S. military policy requested by the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Secretary of Defense in order to weigh repeal of the law known as
Report
There may be opportunities to better leverage enlisted personnel, warrant officers, and limited-duty officers in some billets designated for officers.
Report
In advance of the repeal of the law known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Secretary of Defense requested that RAND update its 1993 study and analysis of sexual orientation among U.S. military personnel.
Report
Develops a framework for measuring the dependability of naval networks and describes a software tool for modeling the impact that individual network components have on overall mission operational availability.
Report
The authors examine the militaries of China, France, the UK, India, and Israel to identify different approaches to readiness, adaptability, and operational issues in the context of full-spectrum operations and deployments.
Report
Improving U.S. capacity for stabilization and reconstruction operations is critical to national security. The authors provide an overview of the requirements posed by such operations and recommend ways to improve U.S. capacity to meet these needs.
Report
The U.S. Navy is looking for ways to reduce the annual operating costs of the fleet. RAND examines whether and how an increased use of simulators could reduce costly underway training days for DDG-51-class ships while sustaining readiness.
Report
Presents a method for assessing Air and Space Expeditionary Force manpower and materiel deployment capabilities and a detailed description of software tools developed by RAND for quantifying deployment capabilities.
Journal Article
Argues that the standard measure of military efforts-defense spending-inadequately captures the social and political impact of military preparedness.
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