David A. Shlapak (he/him) is a senior defense researcher at the RAND Corporation. Since joining RAND in 1982, he has led research and published on topics ranging from counterterrorism to nuclear strategy.
His areas of research focus on the return of great power competititon in the global security environment. His current work includes wargaming scenarios of U.S. conflict with China or Russia, the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. strategy, and the U.S.-China technology competition.
From 2014 to 2018, Shlapak was a founding codirector of the RAND Center for Gaming, one of six Methods Centers under the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He is a former acting director of the Strategy and Doctrine Program in Project AIR FORCE.
Shlapak holds a B.A. in political science from Northwestern University and did his graduate work at UCLA.
Selected Publications
Shlapak, David A., The Russian Challenge, RAND Corporation (PE-250-A), 2018
Shlapak, David A., Deterring Russian Aggression in the Baltic States: What it Takes to Win, RAND Corporation (CT-467), 2017
Shlapak, David A., Michael Johnson, Reinforcing Deterrence on NATO's Eastern Flank: Wargaming the Defense of the Baltics, RAND Corporation (RR-1253), 2016
David A. Shlapak, "Towards a More Modest American Strategy," Survival, 57(2), 2015
Mikolic-Torreira, Igor, Don Snyder, Michelle Price, David A. Shlapak, Sina Beaghley, Megan Bishop, Sarah Harting, Jenny Oberholtzer, Stacie L. Pettyjohn, Cortney Weinbaum, and Emma Westerman, Exploring Cyber Security Policy Options in Australia, RAND Corporation (RR-2008), 2017
Henry, Ryan, Steven Berner, and David A. Shlapak, Serious Analytical Gaming: The 360° Game for Multidimensional Analysis of Complex Problems, RAND Corporation (RR-1764), 2017
Kelly, Terrence K., James Dobbins, David A. Shlapak, David C. Gompert, Eric Heginbotham, Peter Chalk, and Lloyd Thrall, The U.S. Army in Asia, 2030-2040, RAND Corporation (RR-474), 2014
Shlapak, David A., How Not to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb: A Realistic Approach for Dealing with North Korea's Nuclear Weapons, RAND Corporation (PE-A1495-1), 2021