U.S. Soldiers load gear onto a UH-60 Black Hawk as part of Exercise Salaknib, which integrated U.S., Philippine, and partner forces.
Photo by Olivia Cowart/U..S. Department of War
The International Security and Defense Policy Program (ISDP) conducts research and analysis to help improve and maintain the operational advantage of the United States, its allies, and its partners. ISDP employs interdisciplinary teams to confront the military, strategic, and technological challenges facing U.S. and allied civilian and military leaders. This work helps ISDP’s sponsors anticipate emerging threats, develop and execute defense strategies, assess the performance of military forces and capabilities, and advance security cooperation with allies and military partners toward greater operational readiness and burden-sharing.
Director, International Security and Defense Policy Program, RAND; Professor of Policy Analysis, RAND School of Public Policy
Associate Director, International Security and Defense Policy Program; Political Scientist; Professor of Policy Analysis, RAND School of Public Policy
Associate Director, International Security and Defense Policy Program; Senior Political Scientist
ISDP teams analyze the evolving global security environment to identify and assess the threats, actors, and trends that will shape the future of U.S. and allied strategic interests. The aim is to distinguish those threats and risks that are most likely to impact the balance of power, erode deterrence, or constrain U.S. and allied freedom of action. ISDP also analyzes how competitors are modernizing their military forces and adapting their global postures in ways that could potentially challenge the ability of the United States and its allies to project military power. This research provides the basis for a more effective, coherent, and strategic approach to defending the homeland, maintaining regional stability, enabling allied burden-sharing, and revitalizing U.S. defense industrial capacity.
ISDP supports decision-makers by developing and refining strategies and operational concepts for the nation’s most strategically important operational problems. Rigorous analytic methods, including wargaming and agentic AI-enabled analysis, are applied to develop novel approaches that are tailored to evolving threats, adversary behavior, and the changing geostrategic environment. These strategies and concepts are designed to achieve an appropriate balance between resources, risk, and operational effectiveness in order to maximize the ability of U.S. and allied forces to meet security objectives within real-world constraints.
ISDP research supports decision-makers in calibrating the size, mix, and global posture of forces to achieve U.S. and allied objectives. This research provides greater visibility into trade-offs among force composition, readiness, and posture, enabling resource allocation decisions that support deterrence, warfighting, and burden-sharing more effectively. By developing actionable recommendations aligned with U.S. strategies, interests, and priorities, ISDP helps balance capabilities, resources, and risk across the full spectrum of current and future threats.
ISDP analyzes opportunities for allies and partners to enhance their own defenses and to play a more active role in addressing shared regional security challenges. This research supports efforts to increase allied self-reliance, improve the distribution of the defense burden, and align allied defense investments with collective strategic priorities. ISDP develops tools to assess allied defense capabilities, diagnose risks and gaps in posture, analyze the strategic effects of burden-sharing arrangements, and generate options to strengthen deterrence and warfighting capability across the alliance.
