Military Technology

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Creating the Uncrewed-Centric Navy of the Mid–21st Century

The emergence of uncrewed technologies in all domains can enable the Navy to achieve greater capacity and operate in harm's way by avoiding over-concentration of combat power in too few assets. There is a need for relentlessly committed leadership that aims for an uncrewed-centric navy by mid-century, while integrating new and legacy assets to manage the long, gradual transition.

Scott Savitz

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Chinese Strategists Evaluate the Use of 'Kamikaze' Drones in the Russia-Ukraine War

Chinese strategists are watching drone and loitering munition use closely in the Ukraine War, suggesting that they are likely already considering how to refine offensive tactics and improve defensive countermeasures. They are clearly thinking about this question in the context of a Taiwan scenario.

Lyle Goldstein, Nathan Waechter

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The Black Sea and the Changing Face of Naval Warfare

Uncrewed surface vessel and uncrewed underwater vessel technologies will continue to mature and be employed for an ever-wider range of missions. Today's struggles in the Black Sea may herald a changing face of naval warfare, in which large warships are increasingly vulnerable even to nations that lack substantial navies.

Scott Savitz, William Courtney @courtneywmh

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The Four Questions the U.S. Military Should Be Asking About Operation Swords of Iron

The war in Gaza, much like previous Israeli wars, will likely yield a host of lessons for American military planners. It's not too early to identify the right questions to be asking as the conflict unfolds.

Raphael S. Cohen, Gian Gentile

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Encouraging Consistency in National Security Transparency

The United States remains the leader in space in both national security and commercial capabilities. Greater transparency about existing on-orbit systems that are already detected by many is an important next step that could bolster U.S. credibility while also aiding deterrence.

Bruce McClintock @BHMcClintock

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Airmen Out-Paced

As it stands now, airmen are being asked to pick up the pieces when communications networks and chains of command break. Mission command could be the means to succeed in the future, but only after the USAF does the hard work now to make organizational changes and define a viable construct to guide their efforts.

Michael J. Lostumbo

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The Four-Day School Week, AI and Social Media Manipulation, School Safety: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the costs and benefits of a four-day school week, how artificial intelligence is bringing a new era of social media manipulation, the effects of placing police officers in schools, and more.

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The State of Public Education, the Opioid Crisis, Defending Taiwan: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the state of public education in America right now, a missing piece of the strategy for addressing the opioid crisis, emerging technology that could help defend Taiwan, and more.

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These Technologies Could Defeat China's Missile Barrage and Defend Taiwan: Analysis

Earlier this year, a group of experts from RAND and the Special Competitive Studies Project launched a new wargame effort around China's invasion of Taiwan. But unlike most D.C.-based wargames, this effort heavily involved members of the commercial technology sector, to understand what near-term capabilities might be brought to bear on a Taiwan scenario.

Jim Mitre @jim_mitre, Ylber Bajraktari

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Rethinking Who's Winning the U.S.-China Tech Competition

The competition between the U.S. and China is a multi-dimensional contest involving technological, economic, military, and political elements. To accurately assess a nation's standing, the focus should shift from measures (raw numerical data) to metrics, which offer meaningful interpretations of these numbers.

Jon Schmid

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Do Generals Dream of Electric Tanks?

Members of the House Armed Services Committee have expressed concerns over the electrification of Army combat vehicles. Though such concerns have some merit, there is also a larger issue motivating research and development efforts—the growing demand for energy on the battlefield.

Fabian Villalobos @doktor_wolfhaus, Joshua Simulcik

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What the Drone Strikes on the Kremlin Reveal About the War in Ukraine

False flag, special op, or fizzled attack—it may not be possible to get to the bottom of who launched drones at the Kremlin and why any time soon. But the incident and reactions it has elicited from the war's major players reveal just how important weaponized, long-range drones have become in this conflict.

Brynn Tannehill

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Coast Guard Leans Forward in New UxS Strategy but Faces Significant Challenges

The rise of unmanned systems creates a challenging landscape for the U.S. Coast Guard as it endeavors to conduct its diverse missions in the future. To address emerging technologies and prepare for forthcoming threats, the service recently released a strategic plan.

Eric Cooper, Scott Savitz

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Militaries, Metals, and Mining

Securing access to supply, increasing global and domestic capacity, and diversifying supply chains for critical minerals should be at the top of the agenda for both nations and private industry. Failure could jeopardize climate mitigation strategies and U.S. military readiness.

Fabian Villalobos @doktor_wolfhaus, Morgan Bazilian

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Venture Capital Gives America a Strategic Edge in the Age of Technology Wars

U.S. early-stage hardware startups are seriously disadvantaged by a persistent lack of financing. Congress authorized the U.S. Department of Defense to spend $75 million to invest in dual-use hardware startups. But the Pentagon has proven reticent to embrace a venture capital–style approach, even though research has demonstrated it is optimal for driving innovation.

Daniel Egel, Michael J. McNerney