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  1. RAND
  2. >The RAND Blog
/content/rand/blog/jcr:content/par/bloglist .topic.ships
The RAND Blog

Ships

  • An F/A-18E Super Hornet flies near the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Mediterranean Sea, January 22, 2022, photo by U.S. Navy
    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.

    Read More »

    Jan 11, 2023

    Defense News

    Bradley Martin, Scott Savitz

  • U.S. Navy vessels participate in an exercise with uncrewed surface vessels off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia, October 12, 2022, photo by Warren Duffie/U.S. Navy
    Unmanned Maritime Vessels

    commentary

    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.

    Read More »

    Jan 9, 2023

    RealClearDefense

    Scott Savitz

  • U.S. Naval Forces and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces conduct a bilateral mine warfare exercise off the coast of southwestern Japan, January 28, 2021, U.S. Navy photo
    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.

    Read More »

    Nov 16, 2022

    RealClearDefense

    Scott Savitz

  • A Seahawk medium displacement unmanned surface vessel participates in U.S. Pacific Fleet's Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem in the Pacific Ocean, April 21, 2021, photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe/U.S. Navy
    Unmanned Maritime Vessels

    commentary

    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.

    Read More »

    Nov 15, 2022

    The RAND Blog

    Scott Savitz

  • A helicopter drops water to extinguish fuel tanks ablaze on the Kerch bridge in the Kerch Strait, Crimea, October 8, 2022, photo by Stringer/Reuters
    Military Strategy

    commentary

    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.

    Read More »

    Oct 20, 2022

    RealClearDefense

    Scott Savitz

  • Gen. Martin E. Dempsey receives a capabilities brief on the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program in San Diego, California, March 12, 2012, photo by PO1 Joshua Scott/U.S. Navy
    Military Budgets and Defense Spending

    commentary

    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.

    Read More »

    Jul 22, 2022

    Los Angeles Times

    Scott Savitz

  • An employee works as grains are loaded in a special transport cargo bound for Egypt, in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, May 11, 2022, photo by Olimpiu Gheorghiu/Reuters
    Trade Barriers

    commentary

    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.

    Read More »

    Jun 15, 2022

    The Hill

    Bradley Martin, William Courtney @courtneywmh

  • An artist rendering of the future Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, illustration by U.S. Navy
    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.

    Read More »

    Mar 22, 2022

    The RAND Blog

    Jennifer D. P. Moroney @jdpmoroney, Alan Tidwell

  • HMS <em>Queen Elizabeth</em> returns to Portsmouth after her maiden operational deployment in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, December 9, 2021, p
    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.

    Read More »

    Dec 10, 2021

    LUFTLED

    James Black

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting via video link from the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, December 21, 2020, photo by Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/Reuters
    International Trade

    commentary

    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.

    Read More »

    Jun 15, 2021

    The RAND Blog

    Chandler Sachs, John V. Parachini @JohnParachini

  • Stranded ship Ever Given, one of the world's largest container ships, after it ran aground, in the Suez Canal, March 28, 2021, photo by Suez Canal Authority/Handout via Reuters
    Military Strategy

    commentary

    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.

    Read More »

    Mar 30, 2021

    Defense One

    Scott Savitz

  • Artist rendering of the Type 26 frigate, photo courtesy of Royal Navy, Australia
    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.

    Read More »

    Jan 22, 2021

    Australian Defense

    Paul DeLuca, Roger Lough

  • Destroyer HMAS Vampire moored alongside submarine HMAS Onslow, Sydney, Australia, May 22, 2017, photo by sfe-co2/Getty Images
    Submarines

    commentary

    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.

    Read More »

    Oct 1, 2019

    The Australian

    John Birkler, Robert Murphy

  • A Russian nuclear icebreaker cuts a path through the Arctic photo by SeppFriedhuber/Getty Images
    Law of the Sea

    commentary

    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.

    Read More »

    Feb 27, 2019

    War on the Rocks

    Stephanie Pezard @StephaniePezard

  • The Izumo warship moored at the harbor of the Japan United Marine shipyard in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, March 25, 2015

    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?

    Read More »

    Oct 5, 2018

    Defense One

    Jeffrey W. Hornung

  • Navy ships guard while a sea mine is destroyed at the Irben Strait in the Baltic sea, near Riga, Latvia, May 20, 2009
    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.

    Read More »

    Jul 16, 2018

    RealClearDefense

    Scott Savitz

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, sasha romanosky

    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.

    H0884
Lucy Hocking

    Lucy Hocking

    Senior Analyst

    Source: The RAND Blog

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