Clint Reach

International Defense Researcher

Santa Monica Office

Education

M.P.P. in European and Eurasian Studies, Johns Hopkins University

One Page Bio

Overview

Clint Reach is an international defense researcher at RAND. He graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems and a Master's degree in Political Science. He also holds a Master's degree in Russian and Eurasian studies from Johns Hopkins SAIS. Reach served for nine years in the U.S. Navy as a Russian linguist in various positions in the Department of Defense. During his time in the Navy, he participated in New Start Treaty inspections, deployed to Baghdad to provide intelligence support to the Army during the Iraqi "Surge," and was sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to defuse a situation involving a Russian-speaking detainee. In 2014, Reach received the Navy Language Professional of the Year award. Prior to joining RAND in 2015, Reach worked for a short time at the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy – Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia.

Reach's publications include Russian Military Forecasting and Analysis, Russian Assessments and Applications of the Correlation of Forces and Means, and Russian Views of the International Order, among others.

Research Focus

Selected Publications

Clint Reach, Vikram Kilambi, Mark Cozad, Russian Assessments and Applications of the Correlation of Forces and Means, , 2020

Andrew Radin, Clint Reach, Russian Views of the International Order, , 2017

Honors & Awards

Navy Language Professional of the Year, US Navy

Languages

Russian; Spanish

Commentary

Ukraine

One Year After Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Experts React
We asked nearly 30 RAND experts to highlight takeaways from the first year of Russia's all-out war—and share what they're watching as the conflict in Ukraine grinds on. Here's what they said.
Feb 20, 2023
Russia

The Rise of the Rest: How Russia Views the Future World Order
What Russia seeks is new political leadership across the Western world that does not support a status quo that can isolate Russia from the capital and technology it needs to generate security and prosperity over the long term.
Sep 19, 2022
The National Interest
Ukraine

Obstacles to Lasting Peace Between Ukraine and Russia
The current situation in Ukraine suggests that neither side will be able to achieve a decisive military victory that settles the disputes that led to the war. Ukraine and Russia theoretically could reach an agreement to stop the fighting, but the politics between the two sides and centuries of confrontational history do not suggest a lasting peace.
Jul 7, 2022
Santa Monica Daily Press
Military Strategy

Book Review: 'Escalation and Deescalation of Crises, Armed Conflicts, and Wars'
The evolving crisis in Ukraine has generated much discussion about whether Moscow would escalate the conflict, whether in frustration at the slow progress of its military operations, or in response to actions of other states, even possibly resorting to nuclear weapons. But what do Russian sources suggest about escalation?
Apr 11, 2022
NATO Defense College

Publications

Report
Russia's Evolution Toward a Unified Strategic Operation: The Influence of Geography and Conventional Capacity
In this report, RAND researchers examine the reasons behind Russia's evolution toward a unified strategic operation, as well as the capabilities that would be necessary to execute key conventional offensive tasks in such an operation.
Feb 13, 2023
Report
Russian Military Strategy: Organizing Operations for the Initial Period of War
The authors of this report identify and examine several factors to assess the orientation of Russian military strategy, including the balance of power, Russian diplomacy with China, views on future war, and trends in force readiness and mobilization.
Nov 22, 2022
Report
Russian Military Forecasting and Analysis: The Military-Political Situation and Military Potential in Strategic Planning
In this report, the authors draw on a framework developed by the Russian military science community to gain insight into the likelihood and character of future war and the correlation of military potential between Russia and potential adversaries.
Jun 23, 2022
Report
Disrupting Deterrence: Examining the Effects of Technologies on Strategic Deterrence in the 21st Century
The authors examined potential implications of emerging technologies for deterrence in the context of U.S. national security policy. They identified long-term effects on two major aspects of the deterrence dynamic -- effectiveness and stability.
Apr 14, 2022
Report
Deterrence and Escalation in Competition with Russia: The Role of Ground Forces in Preventing Hostile Measures Below Armed Conflict in Europe
In this report, the authors seek to understand how the United States might use its military posture in Europe -- particularly focusing on ground forces -- as part of a strategy to deter Russian malign activities in the competition space.
Jan 20, 2022
Report
Deterrence and Escalation in Competition with Russia: Executive Summary
In this report, the authors seek to understand how the United States might use its military posture in Europe -- particularly focusing on ground forces -- as part of a strategy to deter Russian malign activities in the competition space.
Jan 20, 2022
Report
Russian Military Forecasting Translation Volume: 1999–2018
This translation volume compiles texts by Russian military experts and planners and covers key factors in Russian military forecasting that inform military planning decisions on force structure and training.
Jan 10, 2022
Report
China-Russia Cooperation: Determining Factors, Future Trajectories, Implications for the United States
Since 2014, China and Russia have strengthened their relationship. In this report, the authors seek to understand the impact of the Chinese-Russian relationship on the United States and implications for future U.S. policy.
Oct 12, 2021
Report
Russian Grand Strategy: Rhetoric and Reality
What is Russia's declared grand strategy? How do its actions and resource decisions match its declarations? The authors of this report offer answers to these questions and suggest implications for U.S. policymakers.
Aug 16, 2021
Report
Competing with Russia Militarily: Implications of Conventional and Nuclear Conflicts
In this Perspective, the authors illuminate the implications of a conventional military confrontation between NATO and Russia in Europe and the associated risk of nuclear escalation.
Jun 22, 2021
Report
Russia, NATO, and Black Sea Security
Russia has long used political, military, economic, informational, and clandestine tools against countries in the Black Sea region. In this report, the authors present elements of a Western strategy to counter Russian malign influence and aggression.
Oct 5, 2020
Report
Russia's Limit of Advance: Analysis of Russian Ground Force Deployment Capabilities and Limitations
Analysis of Russian military capabilities reveals stark limitations in Russia's ability to safely and effectively deploy and sustain ground forces around the world.
May 27, 2020
Report
Russia's Limit of Advance: Scenarios
Russia's ability to deploy military forces around the world is significantly depleted from the Soviet era. This report describes the strengths and weaknesses of Russia's ground force deployment capacity.
May 27, 2020
Report
Russian Assessments and Applications of the Correlation of Forces and Means
The authors examine how Russia assesses and applies the correlation of forces and means -- the military balance between two opponents at the global, regional, and local levels -- and outline recent relevant developments in Russian military thought.
Apr 20, 2020
Report
Alternative Worldviews: Understanding Potential Trajectories of Great-Power Ideological Competition
The United States is engaged in a new era of great-power competition taking place in the realms of information, ideas, and ideology. The authors of this report analyze what a future ideological competition might look like.
Mar 12, 2020
Report
The Future of the Russian Military: Russia's Ground Combat Capabilities and Implications for U.S.-Russia Competition
Researchers analyze societal, political, economic, and demographic factors that undergird Russian military power. They also make projections about how Russian ground combat capabilities will evolve in the future and how the U.S. Army can respond.
Jun 18, 2019
Research Brief
What Will Russian Military Capabilities Look Like in the Future?
RAND researchers analyzed the development of Russia's military capabilities over the next 20 years -- with a focus on ground combat -- and the implications of that development for U.S.-Russian competition and for the U.S. Army.
Jun 18, 2019
Report
Strengthening Strategic Stability with Russia
This report analyzes trends in strategic stability between Russia and the United States, examines Russian views on the subject, and assesses current prospects for stemming the erosion of strategic stability.
Jul 7, 2017
Report
Russian Views of the International Order
In this report, RAND researchers analyze Russian views of the current international order, identify Russia's core interests, and highlight the underlying choices for U.S. policy going forward.
May 18, 2017