Randall Steeb

Senior Engineer

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in systems engineering, University of California, Los Angeles; M.S. and B.S. in 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.

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Overview

Randall Steeb is a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation. He has directed research on distributed simulation (both constructive and virtual), artificial intelligence, advanced fire support systems, future air traffic control systems, decision support systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, military operations in urban terrain, combat vehicle design, robotic ground vehicles, intelligence collection, improvised explosive devices, active protection systems, alternative energy, and microelectromechanical systems. He is author or coauthor of more than 40 RAND reports, journal articles, and book sections. Steeb received his Ph.D. in systems engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is currently an adjunct professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Arkansas.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Military robotics
Active protection systems
Future air defenses
Manned-Unmanned Teaming
Future Options for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Selected Publications

Yuna Huh Wong, et. al, Deterrence in the Age of Thinking Macines, RAND (RR-2797), 2020

McKay, Shawn, Matthew E. Boyer, Nahom M. Beyene, Michael Lerario, Matthew W. Lewis, Karlyn D. Stanley, Randall Steeb, Bradley Wilson, and Katheryn Giglio, Automating Army Convoys: Technical and Tactical Risks and Opportunities, RAND Corporation (RR-2406-A), 2020

John Matsumura, et al., Assessing Tracked and Wheeled Vehicles for Australian Mounted Close Combat Operations, RAND Corporation (RR-1834), 2017

Matsumura, John, John Gordon IV, and Randall Steeb, Defining an Approach for Future Close Air Support Capability, RAND Corporation (RR-1233-A), 2017

Randall Steeb, John Matsumura, Thomas Herbert, John Gordon, William Horn, Perspectives on the Battle of Wanat: Challenges of Small Unit Operations in Afghanistan, RAND Corporation (OP-329/1), 2011

Terrence Kelly, John Peters, Eric Landree, Louis Moore, Randall Steeb, Aaron Martin, The U.S. Combat and Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Fleets: Issues and Suggestions for the Congress, RAND Corporation (MG-1093), 2011

Publications

Report
Automating Army Convoys: Technical and Tactical Risks and Opportunities
How should the U.S. Army develop and integrate automated driving technology for its convoy operations in the next one to five years? The authors examine the technical and tactical benefits and risks of employment concepts for automated trucks.
Feb 5, 2020
Report
Deterrence in the Age of Thinking Machines
This exploratory report provides an initial examination of how artificial intelligence and autonomous systems could affect deterrence and escalation in conventional crises and conflicts.
Jan 27, 2020
Report
Assessing Tracked and Wheeled Vehicles for Australian Mounted Close Combat Operations: Lessons Learned in Recent Conflicts, Impact of Advanced Technologies, and System-Level Implications
We assess trade-offs between tracked and wheeled combat vehicles by exploring lessons learned from conflict in various parts of the world, the implications of advanced technologies, and system-level implications of the different classes of vehicles.
Apr 5, 2017
Report
Defining an Approach for Future Close Air Support Capability
This report helps to define an approach to ensure that the Army has a viable close air support capability in light of the possible retirement of the A-10.
Jan 30, 2017
Report
Perspectives on the Battle of Wanat: Challenges Facing Small Unit Operations in Afghanistan
Using the Battle of Wanat as a case study, the authors evaluate a range of alternative technological and corresponding tactical improvements to help small unit operations in Afghanistan, particularly when establishing and protecting combat outposts.
Nov 3, 2011
Research Brief
Results from the Congressionally Mandated Study of U.S. Combat and Tactical Wheeled Vehicle
Congress requested a study to assess the challenges in fielding U.S. ground combat and tactical wheeled vehicle fleets, including discussion of requirements; capability gaps; technology, operational, and business risks; and recommended actions.
Feb 11, 2011
Report
The U.S. Combat and Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Fleets: Issues and Suggestions for Congress
Congress requested a study of the future U.S. combat and tactical wheeled vehicle fleets to review and make suggestions regarding requirements; capability gaps; technology, operational, and business risks; and modeling and simulation needs.
Feb 11, 2011
Report
Preparing for the Proven Inevitable: An Urban Operations Training Strategy for America’s Joint Force
A strategy for training the U.S. armed forces to conduct operations in built-up urban areas.
Feb 8, 2006
Report
High-Performance Computing Opportunities and Challenges for Army R&D
This study identifies potential users of high-performance computing within the Army science and technology community and develops a strategy to build an initiative that will help the Army compete effectively for Department of Defense computing resources.
Jan 30, 2006
Periodical
RAND Review: Vol. 29, No. 2, Summer 2005
Addresses the public investments and infrastructures that could help a Palestinian state succeed; also reviews the thin deployment of U.S. Army forces and how better electronic prescribing systems could improve health care.
2005
Report
Examining the Army's Future Warrior: Force-on-Force Simulation of Candidate Technologies
Explores and assesses selected technology options for future dismounted soldiers that could improve mission effectiveness and reduce casualties.
Aug 15, 2004
Report
Survivability Options for Maneuver and Transport Aircraft: Analytic Support to the Army Science Board
Explores and assesses survivability concepts and technologies for future heavy-lift transport aircraft.
2004
Report
Exploring Advanced Technologies for the Future Combat Systems Program
This report summarizes the research findings of a short-time-frame study that explored a range of advanced technologies for potential contribution to the Future Combat Systems program.
2002
Report
Analysis of Air-Based Mechanization and Vertical Envelopment Concepts and Technologies
This documented briefing explores and assesses the Army's ability to insert mechanized forces in enemy-controlled terrain.
2002
Report
Preparing for Future Warfare with Advanced Technologies: Prioritizing the Next Generation of Capabilities
A new era in military planning is under way. As the defense leadership attempts to define and prepare a more efficient and effective military from the top down, the services are selectively transforming key capabilities to meet the anticipated needs for warfare in the new millennium.
2002
Report
Lightning Over Water: Sharpening America's Light Forces for Rapid-Reaction Missions — Executive Summary
executive summary synthesizes research drawn from numerous studies conducted by the authors in the past few years on the topic of improving light air-deployable forces.
2001
Report
Corralling the Trojan Horse: A Proposal for Improving U.S. Urban Operations Preparedness in the Period 2000-2025
This study presents an alternative to continued reliance on close combat urban operations paradigms that require a commitment of large numbers of soldiers to urban actions.
2001
Report
Lightning Over Water: Sharpening America's Light Forces for Rapid Reaction Missions
This book represents a compilation of research drawn from numerous studies conducted in the past few years on the topic of improving light air-deployable forces. The focus is on new operational concepts along with the underlyingenabling technologies.
2000
Report
Ground Forces for a Rapidly Employable Joint Task Force: First-Week Capabilities for Short-Warning Conflicts
This monograph is a "think piece" about rapidly deployable future ground forces that would be used in time-urgent joint-task-force missions.
2000
Research Brief
Lightning Over Water: Assessing Options for Future Light Forces
As these conflicts and crises continue to grow in number and frequency, there is a growing need for a quickly deploying, rapid-reaction capability -- in particular, U.S. Army light forces -- to directly respond to, and intervene within.
2000
Report
Rapid Force Projection Technologies: Assessing the Performance of Advanced Ground Sensors
This documented briefing summarizes research supporting the Rapid Force Protection Initiative (RFPI) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD), with the goal of exploring new technology concepts for the ACTD.
2000
Report
The Army After Next: Exploring New Concepts and Technologies for the Light Battle Force
This document summarizes the initial year's work on the project "Assessing Advanced Concepts and Technologies for the Army After Next (AAN)."
1999
Report
Joint Operations Superiority in the 21st Century: Analytic Support to the 1998 Defense Science Board
Joint Operations Superiority in the 21st Century: Analytic Support to the 1998 Defense Science Board
1999
Report
Assessment of Crusader: The Army's Next Self-Propelled Howitzer and Resupply Vehicle
The research explores the utility of the Crusader system, a next-generation self-propelled howitzer and resupply vehicle, to the future of the U.S. Army, including both the near-term Army XXI and the farther-term Army After Next.
1998
Report
Denying the Widow-Maker: Summary of Proceedings of the RAND-DBBL Conference on Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain
This document is a summary of the two-day military operations on urbanized terrain (MOUT) conference held at the RAND Washington, D.C. office on February 24-25, 1998.
1998
Report
Analytic Support to the Defense Science Board: Tactics and Technology for 21st Century Military Superiority
Analytic Support to the Defense Science Board: Tactics and Technology for 21st Century Military Superiority
1997
Report
Rapid Force Projection: Exploring New Technology Concepts for Light Airborne Forces
The simulation results suggest that a division ready brigade (DRB) can be improved to fight and survive against a current and future heavy force.
1996
Report
Rapid Force Projection Technologies: A Quick-Look Analysis of Advanced Light Indirect Fire Systems
In recent years, light, rapid-reaction forces have become a staple of U.S. military strategy and planning. ... to provide decisionmakers with an assessment of the effectiveness of differing advanced indirect fire weapon alternatives to the light airborne forces.
1996
Research Brief
Turning Light Forces into Heavy Hitters: New Technologies for U.S. Rapid Reaction Missions
Suggests that emerging technologies will eliminate or substantially reduce a major drawback of this developing role for light forces: their vulnerability to attacks from heavily armored enemies.
1996
Report
Enhancing Weapon System Analysis: Issues and Procedures for Integrating a Research and Development Simulator with a Distributed Simulation Network
The Department of Defense weapon system development and acquisition process requires that an operational effectiveness analysis be provided at every major decision point.
1994
Report
Design for an Advanced Red Agent for the RAND Strategy Assessment Center
This report describes RAND's proposed approach for building an advanced "Red Agent" computer model to describe Soviet behavior in the context of an automated war game.
May 1, 1993
Report
Military Applications of Microelectromechanical Systems
This report presents results from an exploratory effort that examined potential military applications for microelectromechanical systems (MEMs).
1993
Report
Distributed Problem Solving for Air Fleet Control: Framework and Implementations
This Note describes the development of a framework for implementation of multiple cooperative agents.
1992
Report
An Exploration of Integrated Ground Weapons Concepts for Armor/Anti-Armor Missions
Summarizes the results of an analytic exploration of future armored vehicle designs. It focuses on the design of light and heavy anti-armor vehicles.
1991
Report
RAND's Concept Analysis Environment: A Briefing
To assist Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in this effort, RAND has established the Concept Analysis Environment (CAE), a secure set of systems for the analysis, exploration, and evaluation of advanced military concepts.
1990
Report
Knowledge-Based Simulation: An Interim Report
Describes the Knowledge-Based Simulation (KBSim) project, discusses its goals, and presents an overview of its progress.
1989
Report
Cooperative Intelligence for Remotely Piloted Vehicle Fleet Control: Analysis and Simulation
Groups of agents (human or machine) can solve shared tasks effectively by applying cooperative intelligence.
1986
Report
Strategies of Cooperation in Distributed Problem Solving
Results of an experimental investigation of techniques for distributed problem solving.
1983
Report
Distributed Intelligence for Air Fleet Control
Distributed planning and control techniques provide potential advantages over centralized processing in speed, cost, reliability, flexibility, and minimization of long-distance communications for a variety of tasks, including military threat ...
1981
Report
Scenarios for Evolution of Air Traffic Control
Human roles, technical issues, and economic implications for each scenario are discussed, leading to the conclusion that human skills are an integral part of the ATC system and should be retained but extended via the Shared Control scenario.
1981