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Designing and fielding a fleet of technologically superior military aircraft is often an imperative for national and regional security, but the cost involved in acquiring and maintaining such fleets places a significant burden on defense budgets and can impact a nation's ability to project force. RAND research has provided policymakers with essential evaluations and recommendations to implement cost savings in the design, acquisition, and fielding of military aircraft.

Report
European Contributions to NATO's Future Combat Airpower
European air forces currently have limited capabilities for defending allies in high-intensity conflict. However, Europe's airpower is trending in the right direction, especially with the introduction of fifth-generation aircraft.
Oct 22, 2020
Commentary
Russia's Su-57 Heavy Fighter Bomber: Is It Really a Fifth-Generation Aircraft?
Russia's Su-57 aircraft has been in development since 2002 and is considered a key part of Russia's arms export industry as a fifth-generation fighter. Despite continued Russian efforts to sell the aircraft, it is unlikely that a fully developed and full production–ready Su-57 will be available for sale before the late 2020s.
Aug 17, 2020

Explore Military Aircraft

Report
RAND Project AIR FORCE Annual Report 2009
This annual report describes selected RAND Project AIR FORCE research during 2009 in the areas of strategy and doctrine; force modernization and employment; manpower, personnel, and training; and resource management.
Nov 4, 2009
Report
Analysis of the Air Force Logistics Enterprise: Evaluation of Global Repair Network Options for Supporting the F-16 and KC-135
Develops an approach for rebalancing aircraft maintenance capabilities between mission generation units and a network of centralized repair facilities, illustrated by an application to the F-16 and KC-135 weapon systems.
Oct 30, 2009
Report
Should the U.S. Air Force Modernize Its Refueling Fleet to Meet Upcoming Mandates?
The U.S. Air Force's KC-10 air refueling fleet has been in service for 25 years without a major avionics upgrade. Without modernization, the KC-10 will not be in compliance with upcoming air traffic management mandates regulating the minimum allowed communication, navigation, and surveillance capabilities.
Oct 14, 2009
Report
Challenges and Issues with the Further Aging of U.S. Air Force Aircraft: Policy Options for Effective Life-Cycle Management of Resources
Several challenges and issues relating to the further aging of already-old U.S. Air Force aircraft must be addressed and policy options developed to direct the life-cycle management of resources to maintain such aircraft over the next 20 years.
Mar 24, 2009
Report
An Examination of the Relationship Between Usage and Operating-and-Support Costs of U.S. Air Force Aircraft
Examining current U.S. Air Force budgeting approaches, this research estimates the relationship between multiple Air Force systems' expenditures, flying hours, and fleet sizes, suggesting a more sophisticated way to think about Air Force costs.
Mar 20, 2009
Report
Titanium: Industrial Base, Price Trends, and Technology Initiatives
Analyzes the underlying factors that triggered the unprecedented surge in titanium price after 2003 and reviews future market prospects and emerging technologies to assess their implications for the production cost of future military airframes.
Mar 11, 2009
Report
The Netherlands F-16 Comparative Analysis: An Evaluation of the Process
In 2008, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence conducted a comparative analysis of potential candidates to replace its F-16 fighter aircraft. This report presents RAND Europe's evaluation of that analysis.
Dec 16, 2008
Report
Supporting Air and Space Expeditionary Forces: Analysis of CONUS Centralized Intermediate Repair Facilities
Evaluates CONUS use of Centralized Intermediate Repair Facilities for off-equipment repair of aircraft components and presents analytic network design method developed for the identification of cost-efficient alternatives for such networks.
Nov 23, 2008
Report
RAND Project AIR FORCE Annual Report 2008
For 60 years, RAND Project AIR FORCE (PAF) has offered objective, independent analysis on issues of enduring concern to Air Force leaders. Current research focuses on strategy and doctrine; force modernization and employment; manpower, personnel, and training; and resource management. This report offers highlights from PAF's 2008 efforts.
Nov 10, 2008
News Release
Statement Regarding Media Coverage of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
Andrew Hoehn, Director of RAND Project Air Force, made a statement today regarding articles that have appeared in the Australian press with assertions regarding a war game in which analysts from RAND were involved.
Sep 25, 2008
Report
Insights on Aircraft Programmed Depot Maintenance: An Analysis of F-15 PDM
This technical report describes the F-15 programmed depot maintenance (PDM) process as performed at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC) in FYs 2004-2006, assessing PDM duration and the challenges the process faces.
Jul 21, 2008
Report
Why Has the Cost of Fixed-Wing Aircraft Risen? A Macroscopic Examination of the Trends in U.S. Military Aircraft Costs over the Past Several Decades
This report explores why, in recent decades, military fixed-wing aircraft costs have escalated faster than the rates of inflation, examining both economy-driven factors that the Services cannot control and customer-driven ones that they can.
Jun 25, 2008
Research Brief
Test and Evaluation Facilities and Capabilities: Is the Air Force Overinvested?
This research brief describes a RAND examination of the costs and benefits of a proposed consolidation of Air Force test and evaluation facilities that had raised concerns among a broad set of interested parties, including members of Congress.
May 28, 2008
Report
Opportunities for Systems Engineering to Contribute to Durability and Damage Tolerance of Hybrid Structures for Airframes
Ensuring that airframe structures made of hybrid materials are durable and damage tolerant will require the efforts and coordination of multiple engineering specialties, including systems engineers.
May 12, 2008
Journal Article
Counterinsurgency in Airpower Thought
Jan 1, 2008
News Release
RAND Report Says Increasing Emphasis on Counterinsurgency Missions May Require Adjusting Airlift Fleets
RAND Report Says Increasing Emphasis on Counterinsurgency Missions May Require Adjusting Airlift Fleets
Jul 31, 2007
News Release
RAND Study Estimates Multiyear Purchase of F-22A Fighters Would Save Air Force Hundreds of Millions of Dollars
RAND Study Estimates Multiyear Purchase of F-22A Fighters Would Save Air Force Hundreds of Millions of Dollars, RAND Study Finds.
Jun 29, 2007
Report
F-22A Multiyear Procurement Program: An Assessment of Cost Savings
Reviews the estimated savings to be gained from awarding multi-year contracts for 60 F-22A aircraft over three years.
Jun 25, 2007
Research Brief
A New Tool Forecasts Programmed Depot Maintenance Workloads for Aging Aircraft
This research brief describes a new tool for forecasting the maintenance workloads of aging Air Force fleets.
May 22, 2007
Research Brief
Counterinsurgency Operations May Require Modernization of the U.S. Airlift Fleet
This research brief looks at the role of airlift in U.S. counterinsurgency operations and the types of investment in new airlift assets that may be needed to meet the unique challenges of these operations.
May 22, 2007

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Nicholas Johnson

Technical Analyst

Nicholas Johnson is a technical analyst in the RAND Corporation's Washington, D.C. Office. His current research at RAND includes non-kinetic effects, directed energy, aerial ISR, and Navy acquisition.
Anthony D. Rosello

Associate Director, RAND Project AIR FORCE

Anthony Rosello is the associate director of RAND Project AIR FORCE, and a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation. His personal research has focused on a wide range of research problems cutting across all PAF programs, with a focus on global mobility, force modernization, rated management, and…

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