James D. Powers

Quality Assurance Manager, RAND National Security Research Division; Senior Engineer

Santa Monica Office

Education

B.S. in materials science and engineering, MIT; M.S. in materials science and engineering, UC Berkeley; Ph.D. in materials science and engineering, UC Berkeley

One Page Bio

Overview

James D. Powers is a RAND senior engineer and the Quality Assurance Manager for the National Security Research Division. Since joining RAND, Powers has led or co-led projects on F-35 cost reduction, cybersecurity in Air Force acquisition, Air Force energy assurance, and advanced manufacturing technology development. Other recent project topics have included electromagnetic pulse (EMP), nuclear arms thresholds, and global clean coal research and development. Prior to joining RAND, Powers led fuel cell technology and system development programs at Honeywell and General Electric and managed programs for the Department of Energy. Powers holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. in materials science and engineering from MIT.

Research Focus

Publications

Report
F-35 Block Buy: An Assessment of Potential Savings
This report assesses potential cost savings available through use of a three-year block buy contract for procurement of F-35 aircraft during fiscal years 2018-2020 -- approximately $2.1 billion, or 4.9 percent of the cost of annual contracting.
Jul 18, 2018
Report
F-35 Block Buy — An Assessment of Potential Savings: Appendix B, Historical Case Studies of Multiyear Procurement and Block Buy Contracts
As context for an analysis of potential savings in an F-35 block buy (BB) contract, this appendix discusses historical implementation of multiyear procurement and BB contracts and how they compare.
Jul 18, 2018
Report
Air Force Installation Energy Assurance: An Assessment Framework
This report presents a framework that mission owners and civil engineers at Air Force installations can use to assess their level of energy assurance.
Nov 6, 2017
Report
Articulating the Effects of Infrastructure Resourcing on Air Force Missions: Competing Approaches to Inform the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution System
Describes and assesses the strengths and weaknesses of several analytic approaches for linking infrastructure resources to readiness and for articulating the effect of infrastructure underfunding in the Air Force Program Objective Memorandum process.
Apr 17, 2017
Report
Scenario Development for the 2015 Quadrennial Energy Review: Assessing Stresses, Opportunities, and Resilience in the Transmission, Storage, and Distribution Systems for Oil and Refined-Oil Products, Electricity, and Natural Gas
RAND researchers developed a framework and metrics for examining vulnerabilities, opportunities, and risks to U.S. energy transmission, storage, and distribution systems through 2030 under a range of uncertainties.
Sep 27, 2016
Research Brief
Cybersecurity of Air Force Weapon Systems: Ensuring Cyber Mission Assurance Throughout a System's Life Cycle
Discusses how the Air Force acquisition/life-cycle management community can improve cybersecurity throughout the life cycle of Air Force weapon systems.
Oct 27, 2015
Report
Improving the Cybersecurity of U.S. Air Force Military Systems Throughout Their Life Cycles
Examines how the Air Force acquisition/life-cycle management community can improve cybersecurity throughout the life cycle of its military systems.
Oct 27, 2015
Report
Tankering Fuel on U.S. Air Force Transport Aircraft: An Assessment of Cost Savings
The authors analyze the practice of tankering fuel, which seeks to lower total fuel costs by having aircraft carry excess fuel when traveling from locations where fuel is cheaper than it is at the destination.
Jun 23, 2015
Report
Fuel Reduction for the Mobility Air Forces: Executive Summary
Reducing aviation fuel use is an ongoing goal for military and civil operators, and Air Mobility Command is feeling increasing pressure to further reduce fuel use by implementing and following known best practices.
Mar 24, 2015
Report
Fuel Reduction for the Mobility Air Forces
Reducing aviation fuel use is an ongoing goal for military and civil operators, and Air Mobility Command is feeling increasing pressure to further reduce fuel use by implementing and following known best practices.
Mar 24, 2015
Report
Readiness Reporting for an Adaptive Army
Examines the Army's readiness reporting system in light of changes experienced by Army units in the past decade, particularly the ability of units to adapt to emerging requirements by adding and training up new capabilities quickly.
Oct 10, 2013