A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a weapon — be it nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological, or explosive — that can kill or injure large numbers of people or greatly damage the infrastructure of a country or region. RAND provides policymakers with objective guidance and recommendations to improve WMD preparedness, detection, and response, as well as international collaboration to counter WMD threats.
Research conducted by: RAND National Security Research Division; Center for Global Risk and Security
All Items (17)
REPORT
To effectively confront the threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the United States relies on the will and capacity of international partners for assistance. It requires international cooperation, including security cooperation programs to enhance partner capacity. Assessing the impact of these efforts is inherently difficult. This report demonstrates how one assessment framework can be applied to these programs.
REPORT
Adversaries could acquire emerging chemical and biological (CB) agents years before U.S. defense planners recognize those agents, and many more years before the United States establishes a comprehensive defense against them. Gaps in defenses against chemical and biological weapon agents can pose a serious risk to U.S. military operations. This paper summarizes early expert observations about the threat and possible responses.
REPORT
This RAND National Defense Research Institute study outlines and then applies a four-step process for developing regional approaches to working with appropriate partner countries around the world in order to compensate for limited resources and knowledge in confronting weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threats.
REPORT
The Proliferation Security Initiative consists of 91 countries seeking to limit the spread of weapons of mass destruction between states or non-state actors that would thereby pose a serious threat to global or regional security. This report assesses the perspectives of the five "hold-out" nations and how to possibly gain their affiliation.
COMMENTARY
Published commentary by RAND staff.
COMMENTARY
Published commentary by RAND staff.
COMMENTARY
commentaries by RAND Staff: insightful commentaries on current events, published in newspapers, magazines and journals worldwide.
COMMENTARY
Published commentary by RAND staff.
COMMENTARY
As we move from theory toward practice, Terrence K. Kelly re-examines the standards for an era of prolific weapons of mass destruction.
COMMENTARY
commentaries by RAND Staff: Why, for now, there will be no war with Iraq.
COMMENTARY
Published commentary by RAND staff.
COMMENTARY
Published commentary by RAND staff.
REPORT
This study examines the United States' use of sanctions against foreign entities to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
This paper, which appears in slightly different form and under the title Some things to Think and Some to Do in the April 1981 issue of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, is adapted and condensed from Mr. Katz's portion of a public debate on Disarmament and Security held in Santa Barbara, Calif., in April 1960. The author argues that there are several roads to, and several kinds of, disarmanent.
PEOPLE
Senior Defense Analyst
Ph.D. in policy analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School; B.S. in economics, California Institute of Technology
PEOPLE
Senior Physical Scientist; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Ph.D. in physics, Case Western Reserve University; Ph.D. in finance, M.B.A (with distinction), University of Michigan
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