United States Air Force

Military Acquisition and Procurement

q&a
Building Better Government Acquisition Programs: Q&A with William Shelton
In the U.S. Air Force, William Shelton managed hundreds of millions of dollars in acquisition programs. He retired as a colonel then joined RAND as an engineer. One of his recent projects provided the U.S. Space Force with a new approach to acquisition, designed around its unique mission.
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Mar 4, 2022

Capacity Building

commentary
Protecting the U.S. Supply on Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles
Our recent RAND report on the global heavy lift launch market highlights the potential for a near term shortage of launch vehicles needed to lift U.S. defense and intelligence satellites to orbit. These satellites are the eyes, ears, networks and timekeepers of U.S. armed services, and an inability to launch them in times of need could compromise national security.
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May 6, 2020
Bonnie L. Triezenberg
The Internet

blog
Cryptocurrency, Russian Social Media, Congestion Pricing: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on cryptocurrencies, Russian social media influence, congestion pricing, and more.
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Mar 29, 2019
Gender Integration in the Military

commentary
The U.S. Air Force Is Working Harder to Retain Female Officers, and Here's How
Women are underrepresented among the U.S. Air Force's senior leadership. This could be robbing the service of the potential to improve innovation, agility, and performance. The Air Force is working to address diversity in the service, and it continues to work to improve representation of women within its ranks.
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Aug 6, 2018
Miriam Matthews
commentary
Improving the Effectiveness of Air Force Squadron Commanders
U.S. Air Force commanders around the world understand their responsibilities. But they believe that many unrecognized duties interfere with mission performance. They are generally prepared by professional education and career progression to fulfill their responsibilities, but they could use more instruction on how to command.
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May 23, 2018
John A. Ausink, Miriam Matthews
Decisionmaking

blog
Exploring Trust, Leadership, and 'Analytic Courage'
Leaders in business, government, academia, and philanthropy gathered at RAND's headquarters in Santa Monica to pay tribute to the seven-decade relationship between RAND and the U.S. Air Force. Panelists discussed the importance of trusted advice to inform national security descisonmaking.
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Nov 15, 2017
Military Strategy

commentary
Five Simple Strategy Lessons for a New Secretary of Defense
Secretary of Defense James Mattis will need to lay the intellectual groundwork to fulfill President Trump's promise of “a great rebuilding” of the United States military. History suggests that how the strategies are developed may be as important to their success as what they say.
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Mar 2, 2017
Raphael S. Cohen
Military Acquisition and Procurement

commentary
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.
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Dec 3, 2015
Edward R. Harshberger, Obaid Younossi, et al.
Military Acquisition and Procurement

commentary
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.
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Sep 16, 2015
Laura H. Baldwin @LauraHBaldwin, Mark A. Lorell, et al.
Military Budgets and Defense Spending

commentary
Peacetime Fuel 'Tankering' Could Save $25 Million Per Year
Fuel tankering involves carrying excess fuel on an aircraft when flying from origins where fuel is less expensive than at the destination. Tankering fuel to a conflict zone such as Afghanistan is almost always cost-effective, but the story is more complex in other regions because of the way fuel is purchased and resold within the DoD itself.
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May 4, 2015
Christopher A. Mouton
Fighter Aircraft

commentary
Where Commonality Can Work in a Sixth-Gen Fighter
The DoD plans to fund a Darpa-Air Force-Navy technology demonstration program aimed at developing critical sixth-generation fighter capabilities. It's a sign that the Pentagon is adopting a cost-effective strategy but it will need to remain vigilant to avoid the pitfalls that have caused previous joint fighter programs to fall short of hoped-for cost savings and to accept unwelcome design compromises.
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Mar 13, 2015
Mark A. Lorell
Workforce Diversity

commentary
The Realities of Silicon Valley's Lack of Workforce Diversity
Major Silicon Valley tech firms have released statistics indicating their workforces are largely made up of white men. Corporate America is on the receiving end of a complex chain of social and educational factors that continue to leave minorities behind in terms of college graduation, and both minorities and women behind in terms of STEM degrees.
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Oct 2, 2014
Lawrence M. Hanser, Nelson Lim
commentary
Should the U.S. Rely on Russian Rocket Engines?
One of the two launch vehicles that lift U.S. satellites into orbit depends on a rocket engine made by a company located in Russia. Russia's recent clashes with Ukraine and its claims on the Crimean peninsula have caused friction with the United States and thereby raised questions among U.S. policymakers about the potential for an interruption in the supply of the engines.
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Jul 16, 2014
Military Force Planning

commentary
Don't Chop the Air Force — Look to the Reserves
The Air Force's latest budget plan proposes to cut 25,000 airmen. The recommendations made by the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force (NCSAF) offer an alternative — and less risky — way forward.
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Apr 11, 2014
Janine Davidson, Margaret C. Harrell
blog
Conaton Named Head of International Security and Defense Policy Center at RAND
Erin C. Conaton joined RAND this week as director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center. She has 15 years of experience in defense policy, programs and budgeting; military strategy; and military personnel policy and readiness.
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Apr 1, 2014
Fighter Aircraft

commentary
Do Joint Fighter Programs Save Money?
Joint aircraft programs have not historically saved overall life cycle cost. On average, such programs experienced substantially higher cost growth in acquisition (research, development, test, evaluation, and procurement) than single-service programs.
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Dec 24, 2013
Mark A. Lorell
United States Air Force

commentary
Innovation and America's 21st Century Air Force
Lost in the US defense budget debates are deeper issues about the relationship between the military and American society. In many ways, these issues are especially stark for the Air Force. Can the US Air Force improve this connection?
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Nov 26, 2013
Paula G. Thornhill
United States Air Force

blog
U.S. Air Force Academy Presents Natalie Crawford with Thomas D. White National Defense Award
RAND Senior Fellow Natalie Crawford received the U.S. Air Force Academy's 2012 Thomas D. White National Defense Award for her significant contributions to national security. Previous award winners include the Air Force's first chief of staff, General Carl Spaatz, and actor Bob Hope.
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Nov 19, 2013
United States Air Force

announcement
Natalie Crawford Honored with the Thomas D. White National Defense Award
The United States Air Force Academy has selected Senior Fellow Natalie Crawford as this year's recipient of the Thomas D. White National Defense Award, citing her long-term support of the Academy and her instrumental role in establishing an important and enduring relationship between RAND and the Academy.
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Feb 12, 2013
United States Air Force

blog
A Cybercrisis Is Inevitable — and Manageable
The United States can manage a cybercrisis by taking steps to reduce the incentives for other states to step into crisis, by controlling the narrative, understanding the stability parameters of the crises, and trying to manage escalation if conflicts arise.
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Jan 9, 2013
Martin C. Libicki

Health Care Consolidation: What Does the Evidence Say?

Russian Coercive Signaling Toward the West

American Investment in Mideast to Stay Focused on Larger Economies Amid Ukraine War

Civic Education, Twitter's Bot Problem, Police Reform: RAND Weekly Recap

Addressing Homelessness Among Individuals Incarcerated in Los Angeles County

The Policy Currents Podcast

Improving Psychological Wellbeing and Work Outcomes in the UK

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

Planning for the Rising Costs of Dementia

United States Air Force

Building Better Government Acquisition Programs: Q&A with William Shelton

Protecting the U.S. Supply on Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles

Cryptocurrency, Russian Social Media, Congestion Pricing: RAND Weekly Recap

The U.S. Air Force Is Working Harder to Retain Female Officers, and Here's How

Improving the Effectiveness of Air Force Squadron Commanders

Exploring Trust, Leadership, and 'Analytic Courage'

Five Simple Strategy Lessons for a New Secretary of Defense

Inside the Fish Bowl: High Stakes Acquisition Protests

Lessons from the Past for the Future of the KC-46A

Peacetime Fuel 'Tankering' Could Save $25 Million Per Year

Where Commonality Can Work in a Sixth-Gen Fighter

The Realities of Silicon Valley's Lack of Workforce Diversity

Should the U.S. Rely on Russian Rocket Engines?

Don't Chop the Air Force — Look to the Reserves

Conaton Named Head of International Security and Defense Policy Center at RAND

Do Joint Fighter Programs Save Money?

Innovation and America's 21st Century Air Force

U.S. Air Force Academy Presents Natalie Crawford with Thomas D. White National Defense Award

Natalie Crawford Honored with the Thomas D. White National Defense Award

A Cybercrisis Is Inevitable — and Manageable

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