Obaid Younossi

Director, Defense and Political Sciences Department; Senior Policy Researcher

Washington Office

Education

Ph.D. and M.Phil. in public policy, The George Washington University; M.A. in international affairs, George Mason University; B.S. in mechanical engineering, University of Pittsburgh

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

Obaid Younossi is director of the Defense and Political Sciences Department and a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. He is responsible for the hiring, professional growth, and support of about 200 regular professional researchers and over 100 adjunct staff located in four major offices and in offsite locations. Between June 2015 and March 2020, he was the director of the Resource Management Program in RAND Project AIR FORCE, where he was responsible for directing and managing a portfolio of projects to analyze critical policy implications of technology development process and their life cycle management issues. From July 2011 to December 2013, he was the director of the RAND-Qatar Policy Institute (RQPI). From 2009 until his appointment as director of RQPI, Younossi was the associate director of RQPI. Prior to joining RQPI in 2008, he was the associate director of the Resource Management Program in RAND Project AIR FORCE. Since joining RAND in 1998, Younossi has led and worked on a wide range of studies for the U.S. Air Force, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the U.S. Navy, the UK Ministry of Defence, Government of Qatar, Government of Oman, and the Australian Department of Defence. Younossi holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil in public policy from The George Washington University, an M.A. in international affairs from George Mason University, and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Acquisition Performance Improvement and Affordability
Research Performance Management
Base Resiliency

Selected Publications

Philip Anton et al., Strategies for Acquisition Agility: Approaches for Speeding Delivery of Defense Capabilities, RAND (RR-4193)

John Birkler et al., Australia's Shipbuilding Enterprise: Preparing for the 21st Century, RAND Corporation (RR-1093), 2015

Nidhi Kalra, Obaid Younossi et al., Recommended Research Priorities for the Qatar Foundation's Energy and Environment Research Institute, RAND (MG-1106-Qatar), 2011

Matt Bassford et al., Sustaining Key Skills in the UK Military Aircraft Industry, RAND Europe (MG-1023-MOD), 2010

Obaid Younossi, Peter Dahl Thruelsen, et al., The Long March: Building an Afghan National Army, RAND Corporation (MG-845), 2009

Wong, Jonathan P., Obaid Younossi et al., Improving Defense Acquisition: Insights from Three Decades of RAND Research (RRA1670-1)

Recent Media Appearances

Interviews: BBC, NPR

Commentary: Breaking Defense; Defense News; Fox New Channel; International Herald Tribune; Providence Journal; United Press International

Commentary

Reopening Old Wounds: Two Stories, One Lesson
The shocking events unfolding in Ukraine have reopened old wounds for two RAND researchers. Their personal stories stand as testaments that the traumas inflicted by Russia's war on Ukraine will echo for decades to come.
Apr 16, 2022 Inkstick
It's Time for the West to Engage with the Taliban
As a winter crisis looms, the Afghan people need support more than ever. Economic collapse and isolation risk provoking deeper instability, insecurity, and repression. The international community should now look seriously at making a deal with the Taliban to address these risks.
Dec 17, 2021 UnHerd
Inside the Fish Bowl: High Stakes Acquisition Protests
The Boeing-Lockheed Martin team filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office asserting that the U.S. Air Force's selection of Northrop Grumman to build the Long Range Strike-Bomber was fundamentally flawed. Work on the program, valued at approximately $80 billion, is now paused.
Dec 3, 2015 Defense News
Lessons from the Past for the Future of the KC-46A
Analysis suggests that fixed-price contracts have not successfully reduced costs to the DoD associated with developing complex weapon systems. This has implications for the Air Force, given the importance of the ongoing KC-46A program.
Sep 16, 2015 Breaking Defense
Putting a Human Face on the Refugee Crisis
By welcoming and accepting refugees, the West can send their oppressors a message about what it means to be a free democratic society.
Sep 15, 2015 Fox News Channel
Afghan Progress Spotty but Hopeful
As NATO's role in Afghanistan was debated in Bucharest recently, the bad headlines continued rolling in. And yet, on the ground, there is equally compelling evidence that the efforts of the international community are making a difference and conditions are improving, write Obaid Younossi and Peter Dahl Thruelsen.
Apr 29, 2008 Providence Journal
Afghanistan Needs Help
Published commentary by RAND staff: Afghanistan Needs Help, in United Press International.
Dec 19, 2006 United Press International
A Brain Drain Threatens Afghanistan's Future
Published commentary by RAND staff: A Brain Drain Threatens Afghanistan's Future, in the International Herald Tribune.
Feb 9, 2006 International Herald Tribune

Publications

Report
Improving Defense Acquisition: Insights from Three Decades of RAND Research
In this report, RAND researchers describe overarching trends that affect the defense acquisition system, outline challenges in the defense acquisition process, and suggest improvements that might help address those challenges.
Jun 16, 2022
Report
Strategies for Acquisition Agility: Approaches for Speeding Delivery of Defense Capabilities
The authors analyze various approaches to speed acquisition of military capabilities and keep pace with evolving threats, assess these approaches' suitability for different conditions and acquisition types, and identify implementation issues.
Aug 27, 2020
Report
Developing a research impact performance management system for The Research Council, Oman: Final Report
This report sets out our approach and findings in developing a research impact performance management system for The Research Council (TRC), Oman.
Aug 11, 2015
Report
Australia's Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise: Preparing for the 21st Century
RAND researchers explore the feasibility of Australia sustaining a domestic naval shipbuilding industry compared with buying ships from foreign shipbuilders. The authors outline the complex consequences and trade-offs of both options.
Apr 15, 2015
Report
Qatar's School Transportation System: Supporting Safety, Efficiency, and Service Quality (Arabic-language version)
Assesses stakeholder perspectives on Qatar's school transportation system (STS), identifies a vision and goals for the STS, and discusses strategies to achieve the vision and better align Qatar's STS with international norms. This is the Arabic-language version.
Mar 28, 2012
Report
Qatar's School Transportation System: Supporting Safety, Efficiency, and Service Quality
Assesses stakeholder perspectives on Qatar's school transportation system (STS), identifies a vision and goals for the STS, and discusses strategies to achieve the vision and better align Qatar's STS with international norms.
Feb 13, 2012
Research Brief
Updating Qatar's School Transportation System
Describes a vision for updating Qatar's school transportation system and identifies strategies for achieving the proposed vision.
Feb 13, 2012
Report
Recommended Research Priorities for the Qatar Foundation's Environment and Energy Research Institute
The Qatar Foundation is establishing a national research institute to conduct energy, environment, and water research. This book recommends research priorities for the institute and reports on a survey of related research institutions in the region.
Sep 22, 2011
Report
Sustaining Key Skills in the UK Military Aircraft Industry
This monograph reports on RAND Europe's support to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence's Fixed Wing Sector Strategy Board towards development of a strategy and sustainment plan for the military fixed wing sector.
Jan 31, 2011
Research Brief
Sustaining Key Skills in the United Kingdom's Military Aircraft Industry
The UK currently has the industrial skills needed to develop, produce and maintain its military aircraft, but predicted future demand for design engineering activity is insufficient to sustain a number of key skills beyond the 2010-2019 decade.
Jan 31, 2011
Report
Ending F-22A Production: Costs and Industrial Base Implications of Alternative Options
Evaluates the costs and industrial base implications of alternative shutdown options for the F-22A program after the last production aircraft is delivered.
Feb 10, 2010
Report
The Long March: Building an Afghan National Army
Assesses the progress of the Afghan National Army in the areas of recruitment, training, facilities, and operational capability and concludes that coalition forces will be needed to assist in the country for the foreseeable future.
May 13, 2009
Periodical
RAND Review: Vol. 33, No. 1, Spring 2009
Feature stories discuss government cost controls, health information technology, and negotiations with Iran; other stories discuss climate change, soft power, charter schools, meth use, Hispanic enlistments, Mumbai terrorism, and Jeremy Azrael.
Apr 27, 2009
Report
Titanium: Industrial Base, Price Trends, and Technology Initiatives
Analyzes the underlying factors that triggered the unprecedented surge in titanium price after 2003 and reviews future market prospects and emerging technologies to assess their implications for the production cost of future military airframes.
Mar 11, 2009
Report
Improving the Cost Estimation of Space Systems: Past Lessons and Future Recommendations
Analyzes the reason for the comparatively high growth in the cost of space systems by means of an in-depth study of two systems: SBIRS-High and GPS.
Jul 25, 2008
Research Brief
Flexibility and Sensitivity to Local Concerns Are Crucial to Long-Term U.S. Security Relationships with Iraq and Afghanistan
This research brief discusses long-term U.S. security relationships with Iraq, Afghanistan, and the surrounding regions.
Jul 10, 2008
Report
Why Has the Cost of Fixed-Wing Aircraft Risen? A Macroscopic Examination of the Trends in U.S. Military Aircraft Costs over the Past Several Decades
This report explores why, in recent decades, military fixed-wing aircraft costs have escalated faster than the rates of inflation, examining both economy-driven factors that the Services cannot control and customer-driven ones that they can.
Jun 25, 2008
Report
Future U.S. Security Relationships with Iraq and Afghanistan: U.S. Air Force Roles
Frames potential long-term U.S. security relationships with Iraq and Afghanistan in a regional context and posits roles of U.S. forces, especially the Air Force, in supporting these relationships under a variety of contingencies.
Jun 17, 2008
Report
Sources of Weapon System Cost Growth: Analysis of 35 Major Defense Acquisition Programs
Cost growth in major weapon-systems programs results from errors in estimation and scheduling, government decisions, financial matters, and miscellaneous sources, with decisions involving changes in requirements, quantities, and production schedules the dominant cause.
May 16, 2008
Report
Afghanistan: State and Society, Great Power Politics, and the Way Ahead: Findings from an International Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2007
Compiles papers presented at an international conference on the problems that Afghanistan faces in the wake of the U.S.-led attack on al Qaeda and the Taliban; the obstacles to nation-building in the country; and possible solutions to these issues.
Apr 30, 2008
Research Brief
Is Weapon System Cost Getting Better or Worse?
This research brief summarizes an analysis of cost-growth trends and their contributing factors in completed and ongoing U.S. Department of Defense weapon system programs, presenting recommendations to better manage and predict cost growth.
Aug 14, 2007
Report
Is Weapon System Cost Growth Increasing? A Quantitative Assessment of Completed and Ongoing Programs
This study examines cost growth in completed and ongoing U.S. Department of Defense weapon system programs over the past three decades and finds that development cost growth has remained high and without any significant improvement.
Aug 11, 2007
Research Brief
Does Buying the F-22A Under A Multiyear Contract Save Money?
This research brief examines the savings to be gained from a multiyear procurement of three lots of F-22A fighters.
Jun 27, 2007
Report
F-22A Multiyear Procurement Program: An Assessment of Cost Savings
Reviews the estimated savings to be gained from awarding multi-year contracts for 60 F-22A aircraft over three years.
Jun 25, 2007
Report
Evolutionary Acquisition: Implementation Challenges for Defense Space Programs
This monograph presents findings of a RAND Project AIR FORCE research project documenting lessons learned from the implementation of evolutionary acquisition (EA) strategies on major Defense Department military space programs.
Aug 16, 2006
Research Brief
"Evolutionary Acquisition" Is a Promising Strategy, But Has Been Difficult to Implement
This research brief summarizes lessons learned from the implementation of evolutionary acquisition strategies on U.S. Department of Defense space programs.
Aug 1, 2006
Research Brief
Why Have Navy Ship Costs Risen?
This research brief examines the rising costs of U.S. Navy ships over the past few decades and what the service can do now and in the future to reduce these costs.
Jul 18, 2006
Report
Historical Cost Growth of Completed Weapon System Programs
Our analysis shows that the Department of Defense (DoD) and the military departments have generally underestimated the cost of buying new weapon systems and that the growth is larger than previously thought.
Jul 12, 2006
Research Brief
New Techniques Help to Estimate Systems Engineering and Program Management Costs for Military Aircraft and Guided Weapons
This research brief summarizes trends in the cost of systems engineering and program management for military aircraft and guided weapon systems and factors driving those costs.
May 30, 2006
Report
Systems Engineering and Program Management: Trends and Costs for Aircraft and Guided Weapons Programs
Examines methods that cost analysts can use to estimate the systems engineering and program management cost element in the development and production of aircraft and weapons programs.
May 26, 2006
Report
Impossible Certainty: Cost Risk Analysis for Air Force Systems
Reviews ways of implementing cost uncertainty analysis to better understand the costs of future weapon systems.
May 1, 2006
Research Brief
Better Methods of Analyzing Cost Uncertainty Can Improve Acquisition Decisionmaking
This research brief looks at the Air Force's cost estimation process for weapon systems and reviews ways of implementing cost uncertainty analysis to better understand the costs of future weapon systems.
Apr 26, 2006
Report
Why Has The Cost of Navy Ships Risen? A Macroscopic Examination of the Trends in U.S. Naval Ship Costs Over the Past Several Decades
Examines why the increases in acquisition cost for U.S. naval ships have outpaced the rate of inflation over the past several decades.
Apr 20, 2006
Research Brief
The Challenges of Developing New Weapon Systems: Lessons Learned from the F/A-22 and F/A-18E/F
The Air Force asked RAND Project AIR FORCE (PAF) to investigate the reasons behind the differences between the F/A-22 and F/A-18E/F programs and to derive lessons for improving future acquisitions.
Sep 20, 2005
Report
Lessons Learned from the F/A-22 and F/A-18 E/F Development Programs
Examining these two programs illustrates the real difficulties and successes of the U.S. military aircraft acquisition process.
Sep 13, 2005
Report
Test and Evaluation Trends and Costs for Aircraft and Guided Weapons
The authors examine the effects on cost of various trends in test and evaluation for certain military systems.
Nov 22, 2004
Research Brief
Estimating the Costs of Future Weapon Systems: Focus on Testing and Evaluation
RAND Project AIR FORCE (PAF) studied T&E costs for recent Air Force and Navy fixed-wing aircraft, tactical missile, and guided munition systems to identify trends that might affect such costs in the future.
2004
Report
Military Jet Engine Acquisition: Technology Basics and Cost-Estimating Methodology
Adds new observations to the cost-estimating database from earlier RAND studies and presents a method for forecasting the development cost, development time, and production cost of future military engine programs
2003
Report
Assembling and Supporting the Joint Strike Fighter in the UK: Issues and Costs
Would it be worthwhile for the United Kingdom to undertake some of the assembly and repair work for its Joint Strike Fighter?
2003
Report
Competition and Innovation in the U.S. Fixed-Wing Military Aircraft Industry
Responds to Senate's concerns that further consolidation in the military-aircraft industry, which has dropped from 11 prime contractors in 1960 to the current three, will pose risks to innovation and cost through limited or no competition.
2003
Report
The Effects of Advanced Materials on Airframe Operating and Support Costs
Presenting a methodology for forecasting operating and support costs for airframe parts made from advanced materials versus parts made from aluminum.
2003
Report
Final Assembly and Checkout Alternatives for the Joint Strike Fighter
Analyzes alternative strategies for final assembly and checkout of the Joint Strike Fighter.
Apr 29, 2002
Report
The Eyes of the Fleet: An Analysis of the E-2C Aircraft Acquisition Options
The Navy soon has to decide whether to buy new E-2C Hawkeye aircraft, retrofit old aircraft or refurbish them to extend their service lives, or adopt some combination of these options. This book analyzes the costs, benefits, and risks of those options.
Apr 29, 2002
Report
Assessing Competitive Strategies for the Joint Strike Fighter: Opportunities and Options
Defense policymakers in the United States expect that the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) will play a critical role in U.S. and allied military forces through the first half of this century.
2001
Report
Military Airframe Costs: The Effects of Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Processes
This report focuses specifically on the effects of material mix, manufacturing techniques, and geometric part complexity on the cost of military airframes.
2001
Research Brief
New Processes for the Estimation of Military Airframe Costs
The generation of more timely cost-estimating models would thus appear to form the cornerstone of sound acquisition policy. Address this issue by updating existing cost-estimating methodologies in the critical area of military airframes.
2001