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Military Doctrine

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Military doctrine is the fundamental set of principles that guides military forces as they pursue national security objectives. RAND examines these principles, which can range from the policies and procedures put in place by a particular military branch to the tactics and techniques taught to new members during training.

Report
Human Aspects of Air Force Operations
The special operations community has focused on leveraging human-focused capabilities, but the conventional Air Force has yet to fully embrace human aspects of military operations. Is there a need for a joint warfighting domain focused on human aspects of military operations?
Nov 30, 2020
Commentary
Trying to Forestall the Next Civilian Casualty Horror
After civilians are injured or killed, the U.S. Defense Department isn't doing enough to learn from its own failures. The Pentagon needs to devote resources and senior leader attention to an issue that has historically lacked both. Civilian protection should become the singular priority for a critical mass of people across the organization.
Feb 3, 2022

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Commentary
Five Simple Strategy Lessons for a New Secretary of Defense
Secretary of Defense James Mattis will need to lay the intellectual groundwork to fulfill President Trump's promise of “a great rebuilding” of the United States military. History suggests that how the strategies are developed may be as important to their success as what they say.
Mar 2, 2017
Report
Air Force Strategic Planning
With the U.S. Air Force facing pressure to reduce its headquarters staff, many question the utility of strategic planning and the need to produce public strategy documents. A look at past efforts finds that strategic planning is still needed, but perhaps not in its current form.
Feb 28, 2017
Report
How to Counter Transnational Criminal Networks
Transnational criminal networks have expanded their global reach. In some cases, they have even converged with terrorist groups. How do these networks threaten U.S. interests? And what can be done to combat them?
Jan 27, 2017
Report
Understanding China's Strategy
Beijing's perceptions and assessments aren't static. They evolve as China's standing in the world increases and its interests grow. U.S. leaders should focus on understanding and managing competition with China on a global scale.
Dec 6, 2016
Report
The moral component of cross-domain conflict
The study considers the body of work on morality and armed conflict in the future operating environment and provides insights on the ways in which new ways of fighting may challenge traditional moral principles.
Oct 20, 2016
News Release
Ukraine's Security Sector Needs Substantial Reform
An assessment of Ukraine's security sector determines what different institutions need to do and where gaps exist. Roles and responsibilities need to be clarified, and coordination is needed among individual ministries and agencies.
Oct 5, 2016
Report
Security Sector Reform in Ukraine
The 2014 Maidan revolution created an opportunity for change in a system that had resisted it for 25 years. The Ukrainian security establishment has progressed since then, but its efforts have been insufficient to address the threats now facing the nation.
Oct 5, 2016
News Release
Russia, China and Iran Use Measures Short of War to Further Strategic Ends Against the U.S.
The United States will have to address the problems of foreign intervention and threats short of war if it is to prevent further erosion of its global influence by its competitors.
May 31, 2016
Report
Russia, China, and Iran Use Measures Short of War to Further Strategic Ends Against the U.S.
The United States will have to address the problems of foreign intervention and threats short of war if it is to prevent further erosion of its global influence by its competitors. Policymakers and the military services should consider ways to better identify, forestall, and counteract the use of measures short of war against U.S. and allied interests.
May 31, 2016
Report
The Crisis Within: America's Military and the Struggle Between the Overseas and Guardian Paradigms
The nation's understanding of both the common defense and organized violence has changed dramatically since 2001. This report is an attempt to start a conversation about how to better understand America's 21st-century military.
Apr 27, 2016
Report
Demystifying the Citizen Soldier
This report analyzes the National Guard's centrality to American national security, the idea that it prevents the United States from fighting controversial foreign wars, and its claim to embody the concept of the citizen soldier.
Dec 3, 2015
Report
The Continued Evolution of U.S. Law of Armed Conflict Implementation: Implications for the U.S. Military
RAND researchers examine potential strategic, technological, and normative trends that may affect the future evolution of U.S. policies that implement the Law of Armed Conflict, and assess the resulting implications for the U.S. military.
Nov 9, 2015
Commentary
The U.S. Military: Between a Rock and a Repulsive Place
There is a reasonable argument that the best route to address pedophilia and other human rights violations by Afghan forces is to remain engaged, and to make U.S. support conditioned upon remediation and accountability, as the Leahy law requires.
Sep 29, 2015
Report
A Conceptual Framework for More Effectively Integrating Combat Support Capabilities and Constraints into Contingency Planning and Execution
This publication describes a conceptual framework for better integrating combat support capabilities and constraints into contingency planning and execution.
Sep 2, 2015
Commentary
Russia's New Military Doctrine: Same as the Old Doctrine, Mostly
Russia maintains it will use military force only defensively, when other options have failed. But this is the doctrine of a state that sees a lot to defend against, even as its interests expand globally. The danger is Moscow's view of threats everywhere may prove self-fulfilling.
Jan 15, 2015
Commentary
Yes, Russia's Military Is Getting More Aggressive
As Russia's relations with the U.S. and Europe have deteriorated following Moscow's aggression in Ukraine, fly-bys of European neighbors by Russian aircraft have taken on new urgency. How should the West think about these provocative flights in light of understanding Russia's nuclear threat?
Dec 31, 2014
Commentary
Is Obama a Modern-Day Quintus Fabius Maximus?
Critics say President Obama dragged his feet on sending more troops to Afghanistan, on addressing the dangers in Libya, on providing support to Syria's rebels and, most recently, on initiating military action against Islamic State. But is that necessarily such a bad thing?
Oct 22, 2014
Commentary
An Inconvenient War
Congress has not addressed President Obama's plans to take other military steps against ISIS. Some members of Congress do not want to vote on the use of military force until after the upcoming elections. Among these are some who fear their vote could cost them votes.
Sep 25, 2014
Brochure
Challenges in U.S. National Security Policy: A Festschrift Honoring Edward L. (Ted) Warner
Among Ted Warner's many notable accomplishments, perhaps the most important has been the opportunity to mentor a substantial number of exceptionally talented men and women on various aspects of U.S. and Russian defense and arms control policy.
May 13, 2014
Report
Shaking the Heavens and Splitting the Earth: Chinese translation (traditional characters)
This monograph (translated into traditional Chinese characters) analyzes published Chinese and Western sources about current and future capabilities and employment concepts of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and provides recommendations about actions that should be taken in response.
May 6, 2014

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RAND Topic:
Military Doctrine

Topic Synonyms:
Theory of War

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Stephan B. Seabrook

Senior Defense Analyst

Stephan Seabrook is a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation. Since arriving at RAND in 2011, he has specialized in U.S. Army operational doctrine and logistics, modeling and simulation, wargaming, economic and budgetary analysis, and data visualization. Seabrook has developed deep…
Melissa Shostak

Adjunct Research Assistant

Melissa Shostak (she/her) is an adjunct research assistant at RAND. She is interested in issues related to Russian security, private military contractors (PMCs), and strategic competition.

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