Congressional Newsletter

National Security

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the summit of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Astana, Kazakhstan October 14, 2022, photo by Turar Kazangapov/Reuters

Turar Kazangapov/Reuters

What if Russia Were to Attack NATO?

Although U.S. and NATO planners have long focused on preparing for the contingency of a large-scale conflict with Russia, the Ukraine war has created a unique set of circumstances that make a more limited Russian attack plausible.

A new RAND paper outlines the characteristics of a potential Russian attack that are relevant to informing a U.S. or NATO response, including Moscow's possible motivations for launching the attack, what the United States could try to accomplish in its response, and how different types of U.S. or NATO responses might help to advance U.S. goals in the conflict.
Read more »

Army Research Division

The Nobel certificate and medal is seen on the empty chair where Nobel Peace Prize winner jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo would have sat, near a portrait of Liu, at Oslo City Hall, December 10, 2010, photo by Heiko Junge/Scanpix Norway/Reuters

Heiko Junge/Scanpix Norway/Reuters

Countering Chinese Coercion: Multilateral Responses to PRC Economic Pressure Campaigns

Bryan Frederick et al.

Read the perspective »

Xinhua/Alamy

China’s Global Basing Ambitions: Defense Implications for the United States

Cristina L. Garafola et al.

Read the report »

A People's Liberation Army (PLA) delegation (right) visits a United States military facility

U.S. Army

Implications of a Global People’s Liberation Army: Historical Lessons for Responding to China’s Long-Term Global Basing Ambitions

Stephen Watts et al.

Read the report »

A Chinese military parade featuring mounted infantry flying the Chinese flag

Voice of America

The People’s Liberation Army’s Search for Overseas Basing and Access: A Framework to Assess Potential Host Nations

Cristina L. Garafola et al.

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U.S. Army/ Sgt. Samuel Northrup/Flickr

New Directions for Projecting Land Power in the Indo-Pacific: Contexts, Constraints, and Concepts

Jonathan P. Wong et al.

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Army Sgt. 1st Class Cory Christiansen, a member of the Para-Commandos, U.S. Special Operations Command’s parachute team, jumps out of an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft over Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Nov. 15, 2019, photo by Air Force Airman 1st Class Dwane Young/U.S. Department of Defense

Air Force Airman 1st Class Dwane Young/U.S. Department of Defense

Authorities and Permissions to Conduct Army Special Operations Activities Abroad

Kimberly Jackson

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National Security Research Division

Hakim Djebbour/Wikimedia (CC by 4.0)

Mapping Chinese and Russian Military and Security Exports to Africa

Cortney Weinbaum et al.

Read the tool »

Staff Sgt. Sarah M. McClanahan/U.S. Air Force

Time for Resilient Critical Material Supply Chain Policies

Fabian Villalobos et al.

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A Flight Commander Course student interacts with artificial intelligence in a live simulation on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, September 27, 2019, images by A1C Ariel Owings/U.S. Air Force and Jamesteohart/Adobe Stock; design by Carol Ponce/RAND Corporation

A1C Ariel Owings/U.S. Air Force and Jamesteohart/Adobe Stock; design by Carol Ponce/RAND Corporation

Operational Feasibility of Adversarial Attacks Against Artificial Intelligence

Li Ang Zhang et al.

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Amber Howell, left, and Henrietta Johnson assist students with Play-doh projects at one of the Child Development Center's art stations at Anniston Army Depot, photo by U.S. Army

U.S. Army

Evaluation of Flexible Spending Accounts for Active-Duty Service Members

Beth J. Asch et al.

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The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54, left) conducts a replenishment-at-sea with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Towada-class replenishment ship JS Hamana (AOE 424, center) and French Floreal-class light frigate FNS Prairial (F731, right)

U.S. Navy / Japanese Self Defense Forces

Expanding Japan-Europe Defense Cooperation: Implications for the U.S.-Japan Alliance: Summary of a November 2021 Conference

Scott W. Harold et al.

Read the conference proceeding »

Project Air Force

A satellite orbits the earth as a source of bright white light becomes visible behind it

U.S. Space Force

Ensuring Mission Assurance While Conducting Rapid Space Acquisition

Cynthia R. Cook et al.

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gobyg/Getty Images

Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Considerations into the 2021 Department of the Air Force Developmental Education Selection Boards: Analysis of Outcomes

Raymond E. Conley et al.

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Royal Air Force Flying Officer Syd Janota, Pilot Training Next 2.0 student, observes a fellow student flying a virtual-reality training sortie at the PTN facility at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Austin, Texas, March 18, 2019, photo by Dan Hawkins/U.S. Air Force

Dan Hawkins/U.S. Air Force

Improving U.S. Air Force Training Investments: Putting Proficiency First

Mark Toukan et al.

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NatalyaBurova/Roman/vany/amtitus/Getty Images

An Enterprise Cost-Effectiveness Approach to Decisionmaking: Improving Analytic Support to Senior Defense Leaders

Christopher A. Mouton et al.

Read the report »

Senior Airman J.T. Armstrong/U.S. Air Force

Alternative Approaches for Expanding the Air Force’s Task Force True North Program

Agnes Gereben Schaefer et al.

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U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Rose Li, right, hands a notebook to Airman 1st Class Eric Gardella, both 86th Communications Squadron wing cyber readiness technicians, while monitoring malicious network activity during exercise Tacet Venari at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, July 2, 2020, photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer/U.S. Air Force

Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer/U.S. Air Force

Implementing Technology-Enabled Human Resources Capabilities in the U.S. Air Force: Insight from the Private Sector and Military Services

Douglas Yeung et al.

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mavoimages/AdobeStock

How the U.S. Air Force Can Incorporate New Data Technologies into Its Talent Management System: Framework and Use Cases for Technology-Enabled Talent Management

David Schulker et al.

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RAND Congressional Resources Staff

Jayme Fuglesten
Director, Office of Congressional Relations

Kurt Card
National Security Legislative Analyst

Nathaniel Lutovsky
Legislative Analyst

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The Congressional Relations’ National Security newsletter includes the latest research by RAND’s three national security Federally Funded Research and Development Centers.

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