Adam R. Grissom

Senior Political Scientist

Off Site Office

Education

Ph.D. in war studies, King's College London; M.P.P. in public policy, Harvard University; B.A. in political science, Augustana College

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.

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Overview

Adam Grissom is a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. His work focuses on special operations, airpower, and innovation. Current RAND projects inform counterterrorism operations in Africa and the Middle East, force planning for U.S. and allied special operations units, and technology assessment for emerging special mission areas. Grissom's academic work focuses on the field-level dynamics of military innovation. He is a senior visiting fellow at the Georgetown Center for Security Studies and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Prior to joining RAND, Grissom was a civil servant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He holds a Ph.D. in war studies from King's College London, an M.P.P. from Harvard, and a B.A. in political science from Augustana College.

Research Focus

Publications

Report
How Can the Mobility Air Forces Better Support Adaptive Basing? Appendixes A–C, Supporting Analyses of Adaptive Basing, Soft Power, and Historical Case Studies
The U.S. Air Force is exploring adaptive basing to reduce vulnerability and preserve critical combat capabilities in highly contested environments. These appendixes present supporting analyses, including political challenges and case studies.
Jan 24, 2023
Report
How Can the Mobility Air Forces Better Support Adaptive Basing? Summary Analysis, Findings, and Recommendations
The U.S. Air Force is exploring adaptive basing concepts to reduce the vulnerability of U.S. forces and to preserve critical combat capabilities in highly contested environments. This report assesses the impact on the Mobility Air Forces.
Jan 24, 2023
Report
An Enterprise Cost-Effectiveness Approach to Decisionmaking: Improving Analytic Support to Senior Defense Leaders
The authors propose analytic and programmatic frameworks to explore potential cost-per-effect measures, assess those measures with an enterprise cost-effectiveness approach, and chart a roadmap to add a joint focus in future Air Force decisionmaking.
Dec 5, 2022
Report
Adaptive Engagement for Undergoverned Spaces: Concepts, Challenges, and Prospects for New Approaches
This report is a compendium of expert insights regarding opportunities for investing in science and technology to increase U.S. ability to engage in long-term competition in undergoverned spaces.
Jul 13, 2022
Report
Road to Damascus: The Russian Air Campaign in Syria, 2015 to 2018
The authors review the chronology of Russian air operations in Syria, and assess the strategic and operational blueprint, basing strategy and force disposition, effectiveness of the Russian air campaign, and its applicability to future campaigns.
May 11, 2022
Report
Establishing a Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise for Australia: International and Domestic Lessons Learned
The authors describe the relevance of five international case studies in relation to Australia's creation of a Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise, identified as a key priority by the government in its 2020 Defence Strategic Update.
Mar 21, 2022
Report
Russia's Growing Presence in Africa: A Geostrategic Assessment
This report presents an empirically rigorous description of where Russia is involved in Africa, where it is most likely to become involved in the future, and what implications this might have for U.S. Air Forces Africa's regional strategy.
Jan 31, 2022
Report
Seizures of Western Diplomatic Facilities: Historical Timelines, 1979–2019
To help develop effective response capabilities, the authors review attacks on Western diplomatic facilities since 1979, focusing on the duration of each attack and how much advance warning there was of the attack.
Jan 25, 2021
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: Worldwide Spread of COVID-19 Accelerated Starting on February 19, 2020
In this report—part of a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers estimate when COVID-19 transmission via commercial air travel began to rapidly accelerate throughout the world.
Sep 22, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: African Anchor States Face Higher Risk of Importing COVID-19 Cases
In this report—part of a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers quantify the potential vectors of transmission to countries in the U.S. Africa Command area of responsibility.
Sep 22, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: COVID-19 Cases in China Were Likely 37 Times Higher Than Reported in January 2020
In this report—part of a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers estimate the likely number of infections in China in early 2020.
Jun 5, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: A New Tool Helps Analyze Commercial Air Travel Involving Infected Passengers
In this report—the first in a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers introduce a new tool to visualize how COVID-19 infections and commercial air travel have interacted to export infection risk across the world.
Jun 5, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: Decisionmakers Should Base Travel Restrictions on Infection Rates Per Capita and Air Traffic Levels
In this report—part of a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers quantify potential vectors of COVID-19 transmission to the United States resulting from commercial air travel.
Jun 5, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: Air Passenger Transmission Risk to GCC Countries Originated from Outside the Region
In this report—part of a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers quantify the potential vectors of COVID-19 transmission to Gulf Cooperation Council countries as a result of commercial air travel.
Jun 5, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: By January 31, 2020, at Least 1.5 Daily Infected Passengers Were Originating in China
In this report—part of a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers estimate the daily rate of COVID-19 transmission via air travel from China.
Jun 5, 2020
Report
Personnel Recovery in the AFRICOM Area of Responsibility: Cost-Effective Options for Improvement
This report identifies the most cost-effective options for improving medical rescue capabilities in U.S. Africa Command's area of responsibility.
Aug 27, 2019
Report
OCEANS 17 Tabletop Exercise: Findings and Recommendations
In December 2017, the RAND Corporation conducted a tabletop exercise on air operations across the boundaries between geographic combatant commands. This report describes the exercise's design, key insights from our analysis, and recommendations.
May 9, 2019
Report
Conceptual Design for a Multiplayer Security Force Assistance Strategy Game
The authors explain the conceptual underpinnings and basic rules for a RAND-designed security force assistance strategy game. The game is a tool to explore the potential benefits and risks of different security force assistance strategies.
Feb 7, 2019
Report
Preparing for "Post-ISIL" Access Challenges: Robust Basing to Support Operations Against Nonstate Adversaries
Researchers at the RAND Corporation developed an interactive tool, called sequential basing, to identify robust basing options in regions with recurrent access crises. The tool is demonstrated in this report, which focuses on a post-ISIL context.
Sep 10, 2018
Journal Article
Airpower in Counter-Terrorist Operations: Balancing Objectives and Risks
Overview and analysis of harnessing airpower in counter-terrorist operations.
Dec 6, 2017
Report
Estimating the Value of Overseas Security Commitments
In an era of intensifying debate over U.S. funding and resources, RAND researchers explore whether and to what extent the United States derives economic benefits from its overseas security commitments.
Sep 22, 2016
Research Brief
Economic Benefits of U.S. Overseas Security Commitments Could Far Outweigh Costs
Amid intensifying debate over U.S. funding and resources, RAND researchers find that the economic benefits of U.S. overseas security commitments could far exceed the costs.
Sep 22, 2016
Tool
Estimating the Value of Overseas Security Commitments: An Interactive Visualization
Researchers estimated that U.S. economic losses from major retrenchments of overseas security commitments would be more than triple any gains. This visualization compares different estimated gains and losses from selected retrenchment levels and selected tax, spending, and trade multipliers.
Sep 22, 2016
Report
Innovation in the United States Air Force: Evidence from Six Cases
Air Force senior leaders have asked whether the service is sufficiently innovative today and what can be done to make it more innovative for the future. This report assesses historical cases of Air Force innovation or apparent failure to innovate.
May 13, 2016
Report
Preliminary Analysis of Helicopter Options to Support Tunisian Counterterrorism Operations
Rising costs and delivery delays might mean that Tunisia should look at potential alternatives to the UH-60M Blackhawk helicopter. This report assesses potential alternatives that are cost-effective and capable of performing the assault mission.
Apr 27, 2016
Report
Cost-Effective Helicopter Options for Partner Nations
Department of Defense assistance to partner nations entails supporting helicopter fleets, often composed of outdated and difficult-to-service equipment. RAND researchers quantified the implications of migrating these fleets to alternative aircraft.
Mar 2, 2015
Report
A Cost Analysis of the U.S. Air Force Overseas Posture: Informing Strategic Choices
Estimates the costs associated with U.S. and overseas Air Force installations and units to provide insight into the costs and benefits of overseas basing.
Sep 16, 2013
Research Brief
The Capabilities That Medium-Armored Forces Bring to the Full Spectrum of Operations
Assesses the performance of medium-armored forces in 13 past conflicts, to better understand their unique capabilities and inform decisions about the Future Force.
Feb 2, 2009
Report
In the Middle of the Fight: An Assessment of Medium-Armored Forces in Past Military Operations
An analysis of the performance of medium-armored forces across the range of military operations since World War I yields insights with significant implications for U.S. Army decisions about fielding these units in the Future Force.
Nov 2, 2008
Research Brief
Countering Insurgency in the Muslim World: Rethinking U.S. Priorities and Capabilities
This research brief summarizes a RAND report that analyzes insurgencies such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq and calls for a major shift in investment priorities to give the United States the capabilities it needs for effective counterinsurgency.
Feb 5, 2008
Report
War by Other Means -- Building Complete and Balanced Capabilities for Counterinsurgency: RAND Counterinsurgency Study -- Final Report
Examines the challenge of 21st-century insurgency, exemplified by the global jihadist movement, and describes the civil, information, perception-and-cognition, and security capabilities required for effective counterinsurgency.
Jan 25, 2008
Report
A Capabilities-Based Strategy for Army Security Cooperation
In the context of multinational force compatibility, this report defines the Niche Capability Planning Framework, which is intended to guide and focus the U.S. Army's long-term compatibility investments with partner armies of varying capabilities.
Jul 31, 2007
Report
A New Division of Labor: Meeting America's Security Challenges Beyond Iraq
The promotion of democracy and freedom abroad will continue to require changes in how U.S. armed forces are organized and employed and how the services relate to one another and to U.S. allies.
Apr 8, 2007
Research Brief
America's Security Challenges Require a New Division of Labor Among the Armed Forces
This research brief assesses the primary challenges to U.S. security in the emerging security environment and offers suggestions for how the U.S. strategy and the defense program should be adjusted in order to meet these challenges.
Mar 27, 2007
Research Brief
Building Partner Capacity Is the Key to a Successful Counterinsurgency Strategy
This research brief examines ways the U.S. Air Force can contribute to allies' conterinsurgency efforts by providing advice; education; and, when necessary, physical and technological assistance to partner-nation air forces.
Aug 31, 2006
Report
Air Power in the New Counterinsurgency Era: The Strategic Importance of USAF Advisory and Assistance Missions
History shows that an afflicted nation must itself defeat an insurgency politically and militarily, and the best way to help is to offer advice, training, and equipment.
Aug 16, 2006
Research Brief
Beyond Close Air Support: Forging a New Air-Ground Partnership
RAND Project AIR FORCE (PAF) concluded that the Army and U.S. Air Force should get beyond a debate over which force supports the other and instead develop a partnership in which either may predominate, depending upon the situation.
Nov 25, 2005
Report
Beyond Close Air Support: Forging a New Air-Ground Partnership
Creating a new partnership to integrate air operations with ground fire and maneuver more effectively on future battlefields.
Feb 28, 2005
Report
U.S. Army Security Cooperation: Toward Improved Planning and Management
Discusses the Army’s current process for planning and resourcing its security cooperation activities and explores avenues for improvement.
Dec 17, 2004
Report
Aid During Conflict: Interaction Between Military and Civilian Assistance Providers in Afghanistan, September 2001-June 2002
An assessment of humanitarian-assistance efforts by and interaction between civilian and military providers in the early phases of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Oct 28, 2004