Rifling Through the Terrorists' Arsenal

Exploring Groups' Weapon Choices and Technology Strategies

Brian A. Jackson, David R. Frelinger

Published Nov 20, 2007

In terrorist operations, weapons technologies are the tools groups use to pursue their violent ends. Because of differences in what they can do, different weapons are useful for different types of operations. Using a random sample of terrorist incidents from the RAND-MIPT Terrorism Incident Database, this paper explores (1) how terrorists in general used particular weapons technologies and (2) the variation in the technology choices of individual terrorist groups. The results demonstrate significant differences in the ways different weapons are used, in the versatility of individual technologies, and among the technology strategies of different terrorist organizations.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web-Only
  • Year: 2007
  • Pages: 34
  • Document Number: WR-533-RC

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Jackson, Brian A. and David R. Frelinger, Rifling Through the Terrorists' Arsenal: Exploring Groups' Weapon Choices and Technology Strategies, RAND Corporation, WR-533-RC, 2007. As of September 12, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR533.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Jackson, Brian A. and David R. Frelinger, Rifling Through the Terrorists' Arsenal: Exploring Groups' Weapon Choices and Technology Strategies. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2007. https://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR533.html.
BibTeX RIS

The research described in this report was conducted by RAND Infrastructure, Safety, and Environment (ISE).

This publication is part of the RAND working paper series. RAND working papers are intended to share researchers' latest findings and to solicit informal peer review. They have been approved for circulation by RAND but may not have been formally edited or peer reviewed.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.