National Security

RAND conducts a broad array of national security research for the U.S. Department of Defense. RAND also carries out an extensive research program in homeland security, homeland defense, and terrorism-related research for the U.S. Government, as well as selected research for key allied governments and ministries of defense. Through its long-term investment in federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), the U.S. government has built a network of institutions with unique analytical and technical capabilities.

National security research is conducted by the following RAND FFRDCs: RAND Project AIR FORCE, sponsored by the U.S. Air Force; RAND Arroyo Center, sponsored by the U.S. Army; RAND National Defense Research Institute, sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense; RAND Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center, sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security.

Latest Research

Implications of a World-Class Chinese Military
Jul 2, 2019
President Xi Jinping's pursuit of a world-class People's Liberation Army, if realized by 2050, will represent perhaps the most destabilizing geostrategic development of the 21st century. In what areas is the PLA modernizing? What are the implications for the United States and the Indo-Pacific region?
NATO's Amphibious Forces: Command and Control of a Multibrigade Alliance Task Force
Jun 27, 2019
At the request of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, RAND researchers facilitated three wargaming events exploring how to leverage and enhance the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s existing amphibious capacity by organizing extant national forces into a coherent multibrigade command and control (C2) structure.
How the United States Can Compete in the Gray Zone
Jun 27, 2019
America is entering a period of intensifying strategic competition with rivals like Russia and China. U.S. officials expect this to play out below the threshold of armed conflict, in the gray zone between peace and war. What policy options does the United States have to respond to gray zone threats?
Designing a Capability Development Framework for Home Affairs
Jun 24, 2019
Australia's Department of Home Affairs is responsible for domestic security, law enforcement, migration, and the movement of goods across Australia’s borders. Which capability development lifecycle management framework best suits the department's needs for an enterprise-level approach to investment decisions?
Development of Standardized and Best Practices for the USCG Boats Acquisition Program
Jun 24, 2019
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) depends on its fleet of more than 1,600 boats to conduct its most critical operations. What are the best practices for improving boat acquisition, and what are the USCG's options for a future acquisition program?

National Security News

Andrew Marshall, RAND Researcher Who Founded Department of Defense's 'Internal Think-Tank,' Dies at 97
Mar 26, 2019
The RAND Corporation notes with profound regret the passing of Andrew W. Marshall, 97, a RAND researcher who went on to serve for more than four decades as director of the Department of Defense's Office of Net Assessment, which contemplates military strategy decades into the future.
Harold Brown, Former U.S. Defense Secretary and Secretary of the Air Force, Dies at 91
Jan 5, 2019
Harold Brown, a nuclear physicist and weapons designer who helped shape America's Cold War-era national security policy during a career that included terms as secretary of defense and secretary of the Air Force, died January 4, 2018.
RAND Administering 2018 'Today's Army Spouse' Survey
Jan 2, 2018
Researchers from RAND will administer a U.S. Army-sponsored survey to provide spouses of soldiers an opportunity to speak out on the challenges they face and the services they find most helpful.
RAND Corporation Administering 2017 Air Force Community Feedback Tool
Sep 5, 2017
Researchers from the RAND Corporation are administering an Air Force-sponsored survey to provide members of the Air Force community an opportunity to speak out on the challenges they face and the services they find most helpful.
Statement on Death of Zbigniew Brzezinski
May 28, 2017
RAND notes with regret the death of Zbigniew Brzezinski, former chair of the advisory board of RAND's Center for Middle East Public Policy and exemplary public servant who mastered both the strategic and operational details of national security policy.