RAND Army Research Division

Latest Research

What Makes U.S. Military Interventions Successful?
Apr 1, 2019
An analysis of 145 U.S. military interventions identifies the factors that have made them more or less successful at achieving their political objectives. They were successful 63 percent of the time, but levels of success have declined over time as the United States has pursued more ambitious goals. Before intervening, planners should carefully match strategy with political objectives.
An Evaluation of the Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and Firearms Safety
Feb 25, 2019
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) began in 1903 with the goal of encouraging individuals to develop marksmanship skills in case they were called to serve during wartime. Overall, CMP benefits the Army receives from CMP likely outweigh its the funds and resources the Army provides the program.
North Korea's Expanding Nuclear Program Drives a Complex Set of Problems
Jan 11, 2019
North Korean provocations and threats have created an unstable environment on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. and its allies must attend to four interconnected problems. Failure to prepare will increase the chance of miscalculation and constrain options to reduce the likelihood or gravity of future conflicts.

Arroyo Researchers Visit Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria
Dec 19, 2017
A small team of researchers from RAND Arroyo Center went to Puerto Rico two weeks after the island was struck by Hurricane Maria. They are compiling their observations into a series of studies for the Army, with recommendations to smooth its response to future disasters.
Reimagining and Modernizing U.S. Airborne Forces for the 21st Century
Apr 20, 2016
Many of the challenges the U.S. will face in the coming years across the range of military operations could be deep inland and require rapid response. Airborne forcible entry — with reimagined and modernized airborne forces — would offer decisionmakers options in crises that they do not possess today.
A New Kind of Battlefield Awaits the U.S. Military — Megacities
Apr 6, 2016
Megacities are urban areas that seep into one another and have more than 10 million inhabitants. To counter violent non-state actors operating in megacities in the future, the U.S. military will have to be able to piece together a comprehensive and actionable intelligence picture, and under enormously challenging circumstances.