Bad Idea: Overly Focusing on Development and Acquisition Speed
The Pentagon has in recent years turned its attention to the need for speed in weapons system development and acquisition. While shortening the timeline for program development and fielding is important for Defense Department acquisition leaders, overly prioritizing speed can lead to issues with program management, sustainment, and other areas.
Dec 16, 2020 Defense360
Book Review: 'The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare' by Christian Brose
As the Pentagon and commercial technologists continue to explore the potential of commercial technologies for the military and work towards greater adoption, they may wish to focus not only on lowering bureaucratic barriers but also on managing expectations about what technologies will be most beneficial and how they will be used.
Jul 2, 2020 War on the Rocks
Indications of Institutional Inertia: The FY2021 USMC Budget
The Grim Reaper is a 700-foot-tall series of hills that Marine Corps recruits must summit to graduate from boot camp. As the Marine Corps attempts to transform from a second land army and counterinsurgency force to operate within contested maritime spaces, its recent budget request suggests that it will need to climb its own Grim Reaper to get there.
Mar 26, 2020 The RAND Blog
Book Review: 'The Heart of War—Misadventures in the Pentagon' by Kathleen McInnis
Both Washington insiders and the general public may be inspired by Kathleen McCinnis's The Heart of War. The novel prompts readers to think more realistically about the Pentagon and its role in policymaking.
Jan 8, 2019 War on the Rocks
The Pentagon's New Chief Innovation Officer Should Tread Lightly
The innovation efforts taking place in the Department of Defense are exciting and have much potential. But installing a chief innovation officer with centralized authority who may become just another bureaucratic player among many could spoil those efforts.
Nov 3, 2016 War on the Rocks
In Defense of Defense Analysis
Rather than characterize Robert McNamara's legacy as one of inefficiency, his economic, quantitative analysis of military problems should be portrayed as an innovative, if flawed, first adoption of more sophisticated methods for defense analysis.
Sep 2, 2016 War on the Rocks
Don't Learn the Wrong Lessons from Rapid Acquisition
Rapid acquisition practices that worked during recent wars may not easily translate to peacetime endeavors. Enthusiasm for rapid acquisition must be tempered by an understanding of the circumstances that made it work and the downsides that were accepted in wartime.
Jun 23, 2016 Defense One
Rethinking U.S. Force Planning
While the renewed interest in crisis response forces by the military services is welcome in these times of uncertainty, forces that are permanently assigned to a geographic combatant command and based in a region continue to offer distinct benefits. RAND research has shown that an overseas presence enhances contingency responsiveness in most cases.
May 16, 2014 The RAND Blog