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Military Equipment

Cost growth in the development and fielding of technologically advanced military equipment has become a major economic burden for many nations and is expected to be an enduring and prevalent problem. RAND research has provided cost analyses and recommendations to help policymakers and military leaders develop improved cost-estimating tools and formulate policies that mitigate cost growth in weapon system acquisition practices.

Commentary

Japan Is Canceling a U.S. Missile Defense System

In June, Japan canceled its planned deployment of two Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense systems. Japan's decision is understandable but that does not negate the problems it could pose for Japanese security and its relationship with the United States.

Jul 6, 2020
Commentary

Drone-Era Warfare Shows the Operational Limits of Air Defense Systems

External powers have intervened in the civil wars in Libya and Syria, supplying advanced conventional weapons that have intensified the conflicts. But not all of the weapons have performed as claimed.

Jul 2, 2020
Commentary

Take the Bird in the Hand. Strike a Nuclear Weapons Deal with Russia

By extending New START, the Trump administration would preserve verifiable constraints on Russia's nuclear arsenal, buy time to negotiate a more comprehensive agreement, and pave the way for arms talks about intermediate-range missiles.

Jul 1, 2020
Commentary

Nuclear Testing Not Needed Now

Trump administration officials are reported to have recently discussed conducting a nuclear test, breaking a moratorium the United States has observed since 1992. Such a move is not necessary to ensure the continued reliability of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and could increase threats to U.S. and allied security by giving a green light to other countries to conduct nuclear tests of their own.

Jun 11, 2020
Commentary

Spending Smart or Spending Big: The Value of Systematic Assessments of Weapons Procurement

Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and inevitable economic difficulties, national governments should be encouraged to weigh their military requirements in a more cost-effective manner. Countries need to think strategically about the life cycle costs of equipment, not just the original purchase price.

Jun 8, 2020
Report

Report

Air Base Defense: Rethinking Army and Air Force Roles and Functions

The gap between the growing cruise and ballistic missile threat to U.S. Air Force bases in Europe and the U.S. capacity and capability to counter the threat is worrisome. This report assesses alternative Air Force courses of action.

May 29, 2020
Report

Report

Air Dominance Through Machine Learning: A Preliminary Exploration of Artificial Intelligence–Assisted Mission Planning

U.S. air superiority is being challenged by global competitors. In this report, the authors prototype a new artificial intelligence system to help develop and evaluate concepts of operations for the air domain.

May 29, 2020
Report

Report

Russia's Limit of Advance: Analysis of Russian Ground Force Deployment Capabilities and Limitations

Analysis of Russian military capabilities reveals stark limitations in Russia's ability to safely and effectively deploy and sustain ground forces around the world.

May 27, 2020
Report

Report

Russia's Limit of Advance: Scenarios

Russia's ability to deploy military forces around the world is significantly depleted from the Soviet era. This report describes the strengths and weaknesses of Russia's ground force deployment capacity.

May 27, 2020
Periodical

Periodical

RAND Review: May-June 2020

Feature stories explore how military and local governments can work together to prepare their communities for climate change, and the unmet needs of civilians who return from war zones and other hot spots throughout the world.

May 22, 2020
Commentary

North Korea Post–Kim Jong Un Reappearance: Expect Business as Usual in the Hermit Kingdom

Kim Jong Un's return, while it leaves much to be desired in the way of explanation, should send one message to the international audience: North Korea's fate rests still in the hands of Kim Jong Un. And judging by appearances in recent days, Kim does not appear to intend to change the course of his strategy to reduce tensions with the United States.

May 19, 2020
Commentary

North Korean Provocations, Not Denuclearization

Kim Jong-un's reappearance raises questions about the course of U.S.–North Korea relationships in the coming year. What should we expect? What can we learn from the past?

May 8, 2020
Commentary

Are Military Purchases in SE Asia for Political Balancing a Good Use of National Defense Resources?

The Philippines has embarked upon a multi-phase, multi-year modernization of its armed forces, but some of the acquisition decisions appear to be driven by political symbolism rather than responsible military decisions. Using military procurement for political symbolism and paying a high price for it takes resources away from other pressing national security and domestic needs.

May 7, 2020
Commentary

Russian S-400 Surface-to-Air Missile System: Is It Worth the Sticker Price?

Many countries do not fully appreciate that effective air defense requires a networked system and not just one missile system component. Getting the true defensive value out of the S-400 surface-to-air system requires additional components that add costs and complexities.

May 6, 2020
Commentary

Protecting the U.S. Supply on Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles

Our recent RAND report on the global heavy lift launch market highlights the potential for a near term shortage of launch vehicles needed to lift U.S. defense and intelligence satellites to orbit. These satellites are the eyes, ears, networks and timekeepers of U.S. armed services, and an inability to launch them in times of need could compromise national security.

May 6, 2020
Report

Report

Preservation of Tactical Air Combat Potential in Western Europe: Guided Missile Defense Potential

An investigation of surface-to-air guided missiles as a means of augmenting Allied tactical air bases in Western Europe from 1955 to 1958.

Apr 30, 2020
Multimedia

The Future of the North Korean Regime

Soo Kim, policy analyst with the RAND Corporation, discusses the future of the North Korean regime.

Apr 28, 2020
Commentary

North Korea After Kim Jong Un: 'How' Matters More Than 'Who'

With rumors swirling that Kim Jong Un has suffered a health crisis, some are already asking who might succeed him as leader of North Korea. But who is not the most important question. What will matter more is what the new regime does to establish its legitimacy and how the United States and its allies respond.

Apr 28, 2020
Report

Meeting U.S. Coast Guard Airpower Needs: Assessing the Options

Researchers assessed what airpower fleet mixes could best posture the U.S. Coast Guard to execute its various missions globally to meet future operational requirements. This report provides their findings and recommendations.

Apr 21, 2020
Report

Naval Surface Fire Support: An Assessment of Requirements

The authors developed recommendations to improve existing formal requirements and technological solutions regarding naval surface fire support, a way for the U.S. Navy to provide the equivalent of artillery support for forces operating ashore.

Apr 16, 2020

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