Brien Alkire

Senior Researcher; Professor of Policy Analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in electrical engineering, University of California, Los Angeles

One Page Bio

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

More Experts

Overview

Brien Alkire is a senior researcher at RAND and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He leads and conducts research in C4ISR and national security space policy. He serves as director, Staff Development and Education in RAND Project AIR FORCE, and was previously an associate and acting program director. He has authored more than fifty peer reviewed RAND reports and twenty Department of Air Force 1-pagers, and has served on seven dissertation committees. He teaches courses at Pardee RAND Graduate School in optimization and ISR. Prior to RAND, Alkire developed systems, software, and circuits with defense and commercial applications. Trained as an algorithm designer, Alkire's academic concentrations were optimization, signal processing, and communications. He holds a PhD. in electrical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he has also served as a lecturer.

Research Focus

Pardee RAND Graduate School Courses

Selected Publications

Alkire, Brien, Yool Kim, Matthew Berry, David Blancett, James Dimarogonas, Niraj Inamdar, Sherrill Lingel, Nicholas Martin, George Nacouzi, Joel B. Predd, and William A. Williams, Enhancing Assessments of Space Mission Assurance, RAND Corporation (RR-2948-AF), 2020

Tarraf, Danielle C., William Shelton, Edward Parker, Brien Alkire, Diana Gehlhaus, Justin Grana, Alexis Levedahl, Jasmin Léveillé, Jared Mondschein, James Ryseff, Ali Wyne, Daniel Elinoff, Edward Geist, Benjamin N. Harris, Eric Hui, Cedric Kenney, Sydne J. Newberry, Chandler Sachs, Peter Schirmer, Danielle Schlang, Victoria M. Smith, Abbie Tingstad, Padmaja Vedula, and Kristin Warren, The Department of Defense Posture for Artificial Intelligence: Assessment and Recommendations, RAND Corporation (RR-4229-OSD), 2019

Alkire, Brien, Sherrill Lingel, and Lawrence M. Hanser, A Wargame Method for Assessing Risk and Resilience of Military Command-and-Control Organizations, RAND Corporation (TL-291-AF), 2018

Alkire, Brien, Sherrill Lingel, Caroline Baxter, Christopher M. Carson, Christine Chen, David Gordon, Lawrence M. Hanser, Lance Menthe, and Daniel M. Romano, Command and Control of Joint Air Operations in the Pacific: Methods for Comparing and Contrasting Alternative Concepts, RAND Corporation (RR-1865-AF), 2018

Alkire, Brien, Abbie Tingstad, Dale Benedetti, Amado Cordova, Irina Elena Danescu, William Fry, D. Scott George, Lawrence M. Hanser, Lance Menthe, Erik Nemeth, David A. Ochmanek, Julia Pollak, Jessie Riposo, Timothy William James Smith, and Alexander Stephenson, Leveraging the Past to Prepare for the Future of Air Force Intelligence Analysis, RAND Corporation (RR-1330-AF), 2016

Lingel, Sherrill, Lance Menthe, Brien Alkire, John Gibson, Scott A. Grossman, Robert A. Guffey, Keith Henry, Lindsay D. Millard, Christopher A. Mouton, George Nacouzi, and Edward Wu, Methodologies for Analyzing Remotely Piloted Aircraft in Future Roles and Missions, RAND Corporation (DB-637-AF), 2012

Alkire, Brien, James G. Kallimani, Peter A. Wilson, and Louis R. Moore, Applications for Navy Unmanned Aircraft Systems, RAND Corporation (MG-957-NAVY), 2010

Riposo, Jessie, Brien Alkire, John F. Schank, Mark V. Arena, James G. Kallimani, Irv Blickstein, Kimberly Curry Hall, and Clifford A. Grammich, U.S. Navy Shipyards: An Evaluation of Workload- and Workforce-Management Practices, RAND Corporation (MG-751-NAVY), 2008

Honors & Awards

Outstanding Teacher Award, 2012, 2016 and 2020, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Bronze Medal Award, 2016, RAND
Outstanding Performer, Unified Engagement Wargame 2014, United States Air Force

Publications

Research Brief
The Department of Defense's Posture for Artificial Intelligence: Assessment and Recommendations for Improvement
In this report, RAND Corporation researchers assess the state of artificial intelligence relevant to the U.S. Department of Defense and provide recommendations for the future of the department's artificial intelligence posture.
Jan 26, 2021
Report
Enhancing Assessments of Space Mission Assurance
The authors describe decisionmaker needs for assessments of space mission assurance (SMA), challenges for conducting SMA assessments, the shortfalls that may result from the challenges, and options for addressing the shortfalls.
May 20, 2020
Report
The Department of Defense Posture for Artificial Intelligence: Assessment and Recommendations
In this report, the authors assess the state of artificial intelligence (AI) relevant to DoD, conduct an independent assessment of the Department of Defense's posture in AI, and put forth a set of recommendations to enhance that posture.
Dec 17, 2019
Report
Evaluating Future Trends in Support of the Air Force Strategic Environment Assessment: Discussion and Results from a Structured Workshop
This report presents plausible futures based on nine trends in the categories of Geopolitical, Military & Warfare, and Human & Workforce to assist Air Force strategic planning in developing the Air Force Strategic Environment Assessment.
Oct 21, 2019
Tool
A Wargame Method for Assessing Risk and Resilience of Military Command-and-Control Organizations
Guide to conducting a command-and-control (C2) risk and resilience tabletop exercise, a new wargaming method of assessing metrics for C2 structures in terms of risks from adversary efforts or the operational environment and resilience to those risks.
Jun 21, 2018
Report
Command and Control of Joint Air Operations in the Pacific: Methods for Comparing and Contrasting Alternative Concepts
This report recommends methods for comparing and contrasting alternative organizational concepts for command and control of joint air operations in the Pacific in different scenarios.
Jan 18, 2018
Report
Leveraging the Past to Prepare for the Future of Air Force Intelligence Analysis
This report describes steps the U.S. Air Force can take to help ensure that it has the capability needed to provide intelligence analysis support to a broad range of service and combatant commander needs.
Apr 27, 2016
Report
Methodologies for Analyzing Remotely Piloted Aircraft in Future Roles and Missions
This briefing describes a suite of tools to help the Air Force think through future roles for remotely piloted aircraft.
May 30, 2012
Report
Applications for Navy Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Evaluates the U.S. Navy's ongoing and proposed unmanned aircraft system (UAS) programs and describes the most promising applications of those UASs to the Navy's operational tasks.
Jun 8, 2010
Report
U.S. Navy Shipyards: An Evaluation of Workload- and Workforce-Management Practices
RAND examines how best to manage the multibillion-dollar annual workload of public shipyards, including alternative workload allocations, options to decrease overtime levels and hedge against workload growth, and other potential U.S. Navy strategies.
Dec 8, 2008
Research Brief
Getting the Most Out of Littoral Combat Ships
This research brief summarizes analysis of the Littoral Combat Ship, the U.S. Navy's first modular warship, suggesting the best locations for homeports, mission package installation sites, and the quantity of mission packages that should be procured.
Mar 11, 2008
Report
Guidelines and Metrics for Assessing Space System Cost Estimates
A handbook to help analysts assess cost estimates of space systems.
Jan 12, 2008
Report
Littoral Combat Ships: Relating Performance to Mission Package Inventories, Homeports, and Installation Sites
Explores the trade-offs between three elements of the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program: the number of LCSs, the number of mission packages required, and the number and locations of homeports and mission package installation sites.
May 7, 2007
Report
Acquisition and Competition Strategy Options for the DD(X): The U.S. Navy’s 21st Century Destroyer
How can the Navy achieve the most effective competition among its suppliers during development and production of its new family of destroyers while ensuring that two shipyards remain in business to compete on future programs?
Jan 31, 2006
Report
Modernizing the U.S. Aircraft Carrier Fleet: Accelerating CVN 21 Production Versus Mid-Life Refueling
What are the pros and cons of speeding up production of the Navy's newest carrier?
2005
Report
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Deepwater Force Modernization Plan: Can It Be Accelerated? Will It Meet Changing Security Needs?
Explores acceleration of the pace at which the U.S. Coast Guard can acquire surface and air assets that it will operate in the deepwater environment (50 or more nautical miles from shore) and whether the original Integrated Deepwater System program t
Aug 15, 2004