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Military affairs comprise a range of topics from military personnel and veterans to equipment and facilities—as well as the methods, doctrines, organizational concepts, and technologies that support the military's strategic or tactical goals. RAND provides objective policy recommendations in all of these areas and more.

Commentary
Potential Pathways to Russian Escalation Against NATO
A Russia-NATO war is far from an inevitable outcome of the current conflict in Ukraine. U.S. and allied policymakers should be concerned with specific pathways and potential triggers, but they need not operate under the assumption that every action will entail acute escalation risks.
Jul 26, 2022
Report
Pentagon Processes on Civilian Casualties Inconsistent, in Need of Reform
The Department of Defense has committed to civilian-harm policies and processes, but inconsistencies remain. The Pentagon is not adequately organized or resourced to sufficiently assess, reduce, and respond to civilian-harm incidents. Reform will require institutional, not just operational, changes.
Jan 27, 2022

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Blog
Nuclear Deterrence, Russia and Iran, Deepfakes: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how much is “enough” for U.S. nuclear forces, the budding Russia-Iran partnership, the challenge of detecting deepfakes, and more.
Oct 6, 2023
Commentary
A Matter of Trust: More Delays for the VA's EHR System
Given how long it's taken to get five Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals online, the path to around 170 hospitals using the VA's new electronic health record system seems hard to envision. The next step won't even come until March. Until then, veterans just have to wait as fixes are made, money is spent, and patients are hopefully kept safe.
Oct 6, 2023
Commentary
The United States Isn't Ready for the New Age of AI-Fueled Disinformation
Generative AI offers China and other bad actors the potential to fulfill longstanding desires to shape the global conversation. It is vital that the U.S. government and social media platforms recognize this threat and work together to address it immediately.
Oct 5, 2023
Report
What If Russia Crossed the Nuclear Threshold in Ukraine?
The dynamic between Ukrainian momentum and Russia's desperation has raised concerns that the Kremlin might resort to nuclear escalation to turn the tide of the war. How could the United States expand its options to respond to potentially produce better outcomes?
Oct 5, 2023
Commentary
Alliance Assignments: Defense Priorities For Key NATO States
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has galvanized NATO governments to address longstanding shortcomings in defense preparations. NATO is once again committed to collectively defending all allied territory and airspace. But current allied defense capabilities and posture are not adequate to do so.
Oct 4, 2023
Report
Connector Survivability in the Current Operating Environment
Current operating concepts and an evolving threat environment demand that the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps reevaluate survivability in their analysis of the current and future fleet of Navy amphibious connectors.
Oct 4, 2023
Commentary
The Drivers of and Outlook for Russian-Iranian Cooperation
Russia and Iran's recent cooperation regarding Ukraine has raised concerns that the once wary partners might be moving toward a more comprehensive, strategic alliance. Such a prospect could have significant consequences for the United States' ability to safeguard its interests in the Middle East.
Oct 4, 2023
Journal Article
Veteran Journeys: Creating an Opera Based on Research, Clinical, and Personal Experiences
RAND researcher Kenneth Wells shares his story in the form of an opera, Veteran Journeys, to encourage others to find a path to integrating clinical, personal, and creative experiences, to share meaningful stories of how people survive and thrive.
Oct 4, 2023
Journal Article
Integration of Arts and Health Sciences in Developing an Opera on Veteran Resilience and Recovery
This case study illustrates how research data informed an opera on Veteran recovery. To engage a broad audience and address stigma, accessible composition techniques (melody, harmony) were used.
Oct 4, 2023
Journal Article
Impact of Veteran Journeys Opera on Audience Member Attitudes Related to Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress or Unstable Housing
This study evaluated a streaming opera?s effects on measures of audience engagement important to Veterans? recovery from posttraumatic stress and unstable housing.
Oct 4, 2023
Commentary
F-16s Are No Magic Bullet for Ukraine, but They Are a Game Changer with the Right Munitions
Will F-16s win the war for Ukraine? No. Only ground victories and unacceptable Russian losses will force Putin to negotiate. However, a long-term commitment to supporting a well-equipped, sizable F-16 force will improve the likelihood of Ukrainian success even if an F-16 never shoots a Russian fighter.
Oct 3, 2023
Commentary
Rightsizing the Russia Threat
A proper understanding of the threat Russia poses must begin with an accurate appraisal of Russian power. Putin might harbor fantasies of world conquest. But his military cannot even fully conquer any of the four Ukrainian provinces he claims to have annexed last year. Ultimately, those are the constraints that should bound the debate about the extent of the threat.
Oct 3, 2023
Blog
Trauma in the Intelligence Community, Climate Change, Cybersecurity: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the toll that trauma takes in the intelligence community, how climate change will affect the federal budget, why it may be time for a new cybersecurity standard, and more.
Sep 29, 2023
Report
Provision of an indicative, non-exhaustive list of Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (CAHRAs) under Regulation 2017/821: Updated methodology
This report presents the methodology employed by RAND Europe to produce an indicative, non-exhaustive, regularly updated list of conflict-affected and high-risk areas (CAHRAs) under Regulation (EU) 2017/821.
Sep 29, 2023
Journal Article
Defence Industrial Power: Understanding the UK's Post-Brexit Role
This article explores the current challenges in UK foreign policy, particularly in regard to defence. It argues that the UK retains considerable potential post-Brexit, but faces several obstacles in developing its defence industrial power.
Sep 29, 2023
Commentary
Accelerating the Transition to a New U.S. Defense Strategy
U.S. leaders have recognized the challenges with the default post–Cold War defense strategy and have set a course for a more feasible and sustainable approach. But reforms continue to be obstructed by problems of bureaucracy, programmatic limitations, regulations, and institutional culture.
Sep 28, 2023
Commentary
North Korea and China Aren't the Allies You Think They Are
China and North Korea have a history of friction, despite being seen as allies. As Russia, China, and North Korea move toward a closer trilateral partnership, the United States and its allies need to recognize that there are seams in the relationships that can be used to undermine it.
Sep 27, 2023
Report
Army Enlistment Options Optimizer: Research Approach, Findings, and Implications
The authors developed a wide set of Army enlistment options that bundle bonus and less-costly non-bonus incentives. Survey respondents choose the option they most value. This can increase satisfaction and potential enlistments and decrease costs.
Sep 27, 2023
Commentary
How Much Is Enough for U.S. Nuclear Forces?
Deterrence is difficult because it's about perceptions and resolve rather than just pure numbers. Potential adversaries need to perceive that the United States has enough nuclear weapons to deter them, and also that U.S. officials believe the United States has enough that Washington's resolve will not falter in the face of provocation or coercion.
Sep 27, 2023
Brochure
An Enduring Partnership to Address the Department of the Air Force's Greatest Challenges
This brochure describes PAF's institutional values, research areas, expertise, and recent successes as well as how to access previous research, commission a PAF project, and engage with PAF leadership.
Sep 27, 2023

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Jonathan P. Wong

Associate Director, Strategy, Doctrine, and Resources Program, RAND Arroyo Center

Jonathan Wong (he/him) is associate director of the Strategy, Doctrine, and Resources Program of the RAND Arroyo Center, a policy researcher at RAND, and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. His research focuses on the role of new technologies and operational concepts, and processes…
Lydia Grek

Policy Analyst

Lydia Grek (she/her) is a policy analyst in the RAND Corporation's Washington D.C. office. Her research interests include Chinese foreign policy, the Belt and Road Initiative, cross-Strait relations, deterrence and posturing in the Indo-Pacific, and strategic competition in the space domain.…

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