Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

q&a

A New Approach for the U.S. Armed Forces: Q&A with David Ochmanek
The United States and its allies have a window of opportunity to bolster their security and prepare for the global challenges to come. But it's closing fast as China and other adversaries build up their own militaries. Business as usual is no longer sufficient.
Mar 13, 2024

commentary

Getting 'Left-of-Launch' in the Counter-Drone Fight
The democratization of drone technology means that adversaries are now able to conduct attacks with near impunity. The Houthis' recent drone attacks in the Red Sea show that America's current approach to countering them is not working. A holistic, offensive strategy is needed.
Jan 17, 2024
commentary

Robots, Drones, and AI, Oh My: Navigating the New Frontier of Military Medicine
The integration of autonomous drones and robotic technology marks a turning point, heralding a transformative era in battlefield care. The future of military medicine lies in harnessing these advancements while maintaining the ethical integrity and human touch essential to medical care.
Jan 8, 2024
commentary

Creating the Uncrewed-Centric Navy of the Mid-21st Century
The emergence of uncrewed technologies 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.
Nov 30, 2023
commentary

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.
Nov 7, 2023
commentary

UFOs Are Not the Only Potential Threat in American Skies
How can the United States best monitor its millions of square miles of domestic airspace for unidentified anomalous phenomena—what were once called UFOs—or anything else? Public reporting could help officials identify potential threats—but it'd help if the sightings being reported were actually unknown aerial phenomena and not U.S. military aircraft.
Jul 25, 2023
commentary

Is the Warning Clock on Our National Defense Running Out?
The United States has never invoked a ten-year rule regarding preparations for long-term military competition with China, as Great Britain did after World War I. But there have been times when the United States has behaved as if such a rule were in place.
Jul 10, 2023
commentary

Can Cheap Drones Be the Answer to Tensions in the Taiwan Strait?
The more we learn about the war in Ukraine, the more we come to know that drones will play an increasingly important role on the modern battlefield. But how is the U.S. military thinking about what role these aircraft might play in future wars? When paired with modern sensors, could they offer an asymmetric advantage in future competitions?
Jun 29, 2023
commentary

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.
May 4, 2023
commentary

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.
May 3, 2023
commentary

'Wonder Weapons' Will Not Win Russia's War
With its army increasingly in shambles, Russia has turned to attacking Ukraine's civilian infrastructure with Iranian-made drones in an effort to destroy Ukrainians' will to fight. These tactics will inflict pain on the Ukrainian population, but if history is any guide, they will not forestall a Russian defeat.
Nov 10, 2022
commentary

Drone-Era Warfare Shows the Operational Limits of Air Defense Systems
External powers have intervened in the civil wars in Libya and Syria, supplying advanced conventional weapons that have intensified the conflicts. But not all of the weapons have performed as claimed.
Jul 2, 2020
blog

When Driverless Cars Were a Remote Idea
Researchers at RAND have been working on the technology behind driverless vehicles for over 50 years. From 1968 to the present, studies have involved remote-controlled drones, military land vehicles, autonomous submarines, and the safety and liability issues of self-driving cars.
Nov 1, 2019
commentary

Approaching a 'New Normal': What the Drone Attack in Venezuela Portends
The attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Maduro showed that drones are easy to use and difficult to defend against. Commercial off-the-shelf technology is easy to acquire. It is imperative that counterterrorism specialists begin planning a robust response to the threat.
Aug 13, 2018
commentary

Toy Drones and Twitter: The Ability of Individuals to Wreak Large-Scale Havoc
Lone wolves or small groups could use drones, virtual currencies, encrypted communications, and artificial intelligence for nefarious purposes. The threat is even greater when these technologies are used in conjunction with disinformation spread over social media.
Jun 18, 2018
commentary

Drones Could Deliver Change to Africa
Drones could transform Africa's urban and rural infrastructure and enhance its agricultural productivity. But deployment of drones on the continent faces technological, economic, social, and legal, and regulatory challenges.
Nov 17, 2017

Page 1 of 5

Quoted

Mandatory evacuation orders are issued when disasters have potentially life-threatening impacts. Disaster after disaster, orders resulted in evacuations that have saved untold lives. Milton is rapidly intensifying and expected to be one of the largest hurricanes on record when it hits the United States. Staying in place could have severe, life-threatening consequences.

Aaron Clark-Ginsberg

Behavioral/Social Scientist

Source: rand.org

The mechanisms behind the apparent adverse effects of climate change on human health are not entirely understood. However, the need for pre-planning for these events to prevent poor health outcomes is clear. Especially among the most vulnerable populations, it is critical to develop and implement mitigating strategies.

Mahshid Abir

Senior Physician Policy Researcher, Professor of Policy Analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Source: rand.org

How to Support Victims of Elder Mistreatment

Climate Change Affects Health and Will Increase Drug Demand

Evacuating from Hurricane Milton: What the Whole Community Can Do

Hurricane Milton: The Latest Climate-Related Threat to American Health

The Math Equity Equation

The Policy Currents Podcast

Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research

Improving Access to Early Childhood Education

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

A New Approach for the U.S. Armed Forces: Q&A with David Ochmanek

Getting 'Left-of-Launch' in the Counter-Drone Fight

Robots, Drones, and AI, Oh My: Navigating the New Frontier of Military Medicine

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

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

UFOs Are Not the Only Potential Threat in American Skies

Is the Warning Clock on Our National Defense Running Out?

Can Cheap Drones Be the Answer to Tensions in the Taiwan Strait?

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

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

'Wonder Weapons' Will Not Win Russia's War

Drone-Era Warfare Shows the Operational Limits of Air Defense Systems

When Driverless Cars Were a Remote Idea

Approaching a 'New Normal': What the Drone Attack in Venezuela Portends

Toy Drones and Twitter: The Ability of Individuals to Wreak Large-Scale Havoc

Drones Could Deliver Change to Africa

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