Ships

Military Ships and Naval Vessels

commentary
How Big of a Fleet? A Look at the U.S. Navy's Size and Readiness Needs
Congress is trying to nudge the Navy to expand the size of the fleet. But without comparable levels of funding for personnel, maintenance, technology upgrades, logistics and other support functions, a larger fleet could come at the cost of readiness.
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Jan 11, 2023
Defense News
Bradley Martin, Scott Savitz

Unmanned Maritime Vessels

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Could Taiwan Defend with Uncrewed Surface Vessels?
Ukraine has demonstrated the ability of explosive uncrewed surface vessels to target ships. These weapons could play a role in preventing Chinese forces from successfully invading Taiwan in potential future scenarios.
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Jan 9, 2023
RealClearDefense
Scott Savitz
Naval Warfare

commentary
The Drifting Menace
The drifting mine threat is not going away: they are simple, effective weapons that are easily made and deployed even by actors with limited naval capabilities. A holistic approach to tactics, enforcement, and technology development could help counter the threat and maintain future freedom of the seas.
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Nov 16, 2022
RealClearDefense
Scott Savitz
Unmanned Maritime Vessels

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The Age of Uncrewed Surface Vessels
A new age of naval warfare has been inaugurated in the Black Sea, defined by an emerging weapon. Uncrewed surface vessels could become a centerpiece of naval warfare in the coming decades, one that navies may ignore at their peril.
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Nov 15, 2022
The RAND Blog
Scott Savitz
Military Strategy

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Beware the Explosive Vessels
The initial explosion that damaged the Kerch Strait Bridge may have come from an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV). If it was indeed caused by a USV, it could be a portent of future warfare. Military and homeland security authorities may need to anticipate the potential use of USVs by adversaries or terrorists.
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Oct 20, 2022
RealClearDefense
Scott Savitz
Military Budgets and Defense Spending

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Why It Makes Sense to Keep Mine-Hunting Dolphins on the Navy's Payroll
Mine-hunting dolphins—none of whom have ever been harmed by a mine—make the seas safer for naval ships and other vessels. Yet budget cuts could spell the end of the program that trains them.
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Jul 22, 2022
Los Angeles Times
Scott Savitz
Trade Barriers

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Unblocking the Black Sea for Ukrainian Grain
As Russia has been blockading ports around Odesa, Ukrainian grain exports in May were more than 60 percent lower than a year ago. Global hunger has hit a new high while 22 million tons of grain in Ukraine could rot if not exported soon.
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Jun 15, 2022
The Hill
Bradley Martin, William Courtney @courtneywmh
Security Cooperation

commentary
Making AUKUS Work
In September 2021, President Biden announced the creation of AUKUS, a trilateral, experimental arrangement among the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom focused on defense technology. The barriers to success are numerous but the partnership could offer significant opportunities.
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Mar 22, 2022
The RAND Blog
Jennifer D. P. Moroney @jdpmoroney, Alan Tidwell
Warfare and Military Operations

commentary
Ready for Take-Off? The Next Generation of UK Maritime Air Power
The recent deployment of a Carrier Strike Group represents a marked shift in the United Kingdom's ambitions and capabilities for power projection in both the maritime and air domains. The United Kingdom is hoping to work closely with NATO Allies to enhance the Alliance's collective ability to deploy maritime airpower as part of a flexible posture that can deter and respond to threats both close to home and far afield.
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Dec 10, 2021
LUFTLED
James Black
International Trade

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Russia Engine Troubles: Is Putin's Behavior Catching Up with Him?
Actions taken to curb Russian malign activities around the globe appear to be affecting Russia's marine and aerospace engine sector. Efforts to arrest Russia's bad behavior might gain momentum if more countries followed the lead of Norway, which chose supporting sanctions over short-term economic gain.
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Jun 15, 2021
The RAND Blog
Chandler Sachs, John V. Parachini @JohnParachini
Military Strategy

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The Suez Grounding Was an Accident. The Next Blocked Chokepoint Might Not Be
The recent spectacle of a hulking container ship wedged into the Suez Canal is a reminder of how vulnerable maritime transportation is to blocked chokepoints. The fragility of maritime lifelines may encourage the use of this tactic in future conflict.
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Mar 30, 2021
Defense One
Scott Savitz
Military Ships and Naval Vessels

commentary
Australian Naval Shipbuilding: First Things First
Australia will soon begin production of Attack-class submarines and Hunter-class frigates, ostensibly bringing more than $100 billion in new naval ship construction to domestic industry. While many in political and labour circles see this as a boon for Australian companies, actual domestic spending may be far less than imagined.
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Jan 22, 2021
Australian Defense
Paul DeLuca, Roger Lough
Submarines

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Nuclear Subs Idea Worth Floating
Whether Australia should operate and maintain nuclear-propelled attack submarines has been debated for years. While controversial to some, the option of nuclear subs in Australia's future fleet may be a useful alternative given trends in the country's security environment.
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Oct 1, 2019
The Australian
John Birkler, Robert Murphy
Law of the Sea

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How Not to Compete in the Arctic
The Arctic defies simplistic views of geopolitical friends and foes. The United States and its allies do not necessarily agree on key issues, while U.S. strategic competitors might find common ground with America. The United States could fine-tune its defense policy tools in the Arctic to ensure that its actions do not hamper relations with allies and shore up the position of adversaries.
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Feb 27, 2019
War on the Rocks
Stephanie Pezard @StephaniePezard
commentary
Does Japan Need an Aircraft Carrier?
Japan has not possessed an aircraft carrier in more than 70 years. But that may soon change as the Japanese government is debating retrofitting a class of destroyers to turn them into aircraft carriers. Considering both operational needs and resources limitations, does an aircraft carrier for Japan make sense?
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Oct 5, 2018
Defense One
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Military Strategy

commentary
Small States Can Use Naval Mines and Unmanned Vehicles to Deter Maritime Aggression
Small coastal nations face potential threats from larger, more powerful adversaries. Their coastlines represent vulnerabilities that a foe may seek to exploit. But these nations can hinder and deter potential aggressors by using less expensive systems, such as naval mines and unmanned vehicles.
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Jul 16, 2018
RealClearDefense
Scott Savitz

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Quoted

Software supply chain security has emerged as a leading risk because of the massively fragmented and decentralized nature of modern software development. Unlike other problems in cybersecurity, this is a discrete problem, where the data exist. Information required to map software dependents or dependencies is knowable because there exists a finite limit to the number of nodes and dependencies.

Sasha Romanosky

Senior Policy Researcher

Source: The Hill

Compared to White women, Black women are 3.7 times more likely to die and Asian women 1.8 times more likely to die during or within the 6 weeks after pregnancy.…[W]omen experiencing disadvantage (e.g. domestic abuse, mental health illness, substance abuse) [are] also at greater risk of death during or soon after pregnancy.

Lucy Hocking

Senior Analyst

Source: The RAND Blog

China's Overseas Military Diplomacy and Implications for U.S. Interests

Unhoused Population Increased by 18 Percent in Three Hot-Spot L.A. Neighborhoods

Japan's Strategic Shift: Significant, but Implementation Hurdles May Await

Avoiding a Long War in Ukraine, Gun Violence, Migrant Surges: RAND Weekly Recap

RAND Experts Discuss the Implications of China Easing Zero-COVID Rules

The Policy Currents Podcast

Helping Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Measuring Wellbeing to Help Communities Thrive

Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research

Ships

How Big of a Fleet? A Look at the U.S. Navy's Size and Readiness Needs

Could Taiwan Defend with Uncrewed Surface Vessels?

The Drifting Menace

The Age of Uncrewed Surface Vessels

Beware the Explosive Vessels

Why It Makes Sense to Keep Mine-Hunting Dolphins on the Navy's Payroll

Unblocking the Black Sea for Ukrainian Grain

Making AUKUS Work

Ready for Take-Off? The Next Generation of UK Maritime Air Power

Russia Engine Troubles: Is Putin's Behavior Catching Up with Him?

The Suez Grounding Was an Accident. The Next Blocked Chokepoint Might Not Be

Australian Naval Shipbuilding: First Things First

Nuclear Subs Idea Worth Floating

How Not to Compete in the Arctic

Does Japan Need an Aircraft Carrier?

Small States Can Use Naval Mines and Unmanned Vehicles to Deter Maritime Aggression

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