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Military Equipment

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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.

Report

The United States Needs More Polar Icebreakers

Dec 8, 2020

Icebreaking is important for maintaining polar presence amid increasing global interest in the Arctic and Antarctic. Only two U.S. cutters are capable of operating in heavy polar ice, and both have limited life spans. What should the Coast Guard consider as it builds new icebreakers?
Report

Analysis of Global Management of Air Force War Reserve Materiel to Support Operations in Contested and Degraded Environments

Jan 14, 2021

The Air Force's current system of war reserve materiel management is positioned more for efficiency than effectiveness. What do case studies reveal about the trade-offs and best practices for a centralized versus decentralized management approach?

Explore Military Equipment

Report

Army Analytic Capabilities: A Case Study Within Army Contracting Command and Its Implications

The U.S. Army lacks access to modern, commonplace analytical data management tools, and its data are locked away in siloed and proprietary databases. To solve these two challenges, the authors found an effective, efficient, and quick path forward.

Apr 12, 2021
Report

Countering the Risks of North Korean Nuclear Weapons

There is a growing gap between North Korea's nuclear weapon threat and South Korean and U.S. capabilities to defeat it. Because these capabilities will take years to develop, attention should be focused on where the threat could be in the mid to late 2020s and strategy options that could be employed to counter it.

Apr 12, 2021
Commentary

The Suez Grounding Was an Accident. The Next Blocked Chokepoint Might Not Be

The recent spectacle of a hulking container ship wedged into the Suez Canal is a reminder of how vulnerable maritime transportation is to blocked chokepoints. The fragility of maritime lifelines may encourage the use of this tactic in future conflict.

Mar 30, 2021
Report

The U.S.-Japan Alliance and Rapid Change on the Korean Peninsula: Proceedings from a Pair of Conferences

Few areas of the world are more geostrategically important to the United States and Japan than the Korean Peninsula. These conference proceedings explore how changes on the Korean Peninsula are seen by observers in Japan and the United States.

Mar 26, 2021
Multimedia

RAND Remote: A Disarming Mission, A RAND Conversation with William Perry and Tom Collina

In this RAND Remote conversation, former Secretary of Defense William Perry and Tom Collina, director of policy at Ploughshares Fund, discuss nuclear executive authority and topics covered in their book, The Button: The New Nuclear Arms Race and Presidential Power from Truman to Trump.

Mar 25, 2021
Commentary

Could the Bioweapons Treaty Be Another Tool for Addressing Pandemics?

What might governments do to reduce the risk of future large-scale biological attacks or naturally occurring pandemics? Perhaps now is the right time to revisit the 46-year-old Biological Weapons Convention treaty and make it a better tool against future biological threats.

Mar 12, 2021
Commentary

What the UAE Weapons Deal Says About the United States and Its Alliances

Various U.S. administrations have long wanted U.S. allies to do more, but in many parts of the world the most logical partners are authoritarian states with different interests than those of the United States. The sale of military equipment to the United Arab Emirates provides just the latest example.

Mar 1, 2021
Report

Comparing the Cost-Effectiveness of Expendable Versus Reusable Small Air Vehicles

RAND Corporation researchers reviewed the comparative cost-effectiveness of reusable and expendable platforms for small unmanned aerial vehicles. The findings show that current technology often makes reusable platforms relatively inexpensive.

Feb 23, 2021
Report

Equipping the 21st Century Marine Corps: Alternative Equipping Strategies for Task-Organized Units

Provisional unit equipping differs from the traditional way the Marine Corps equips forces, which places a burden on the logistics enterprise. The totality of the problem demands a multipronged approach as the best course of action.

Feb 18, 2021
Report

Fighter Basing Options to Improve Access to Advanced Training Ranges

The authors explore U.S. Air Force squadron restationing and range upgrade options that can maximize access to advanced live training ranges while evaluating cost and risk measures associated with these options.

Feb 5, 2021
Report

Managing Risk in Globalized Supply Chains

This report addresses the challenges the U.S. Air Force faces in mitigating the risks associated with an increasingly globalized weapon supply chain and suggests ways to improve how it addresses such risks.

Feb 5, 2021
Journal Article

Deceive the Enemy with Emerging Technologies

By using technology to deceive and confuse adversaries, the U.S. Navy can gain a competitive edge.

Feb 4, 2021
Research Brief

The Department of Defense's Posture for Artificial Intelligence: Assessment and Recommendations for Improvement

In this report, RAND Corporation researchers assess the state of artificial intelligence relevant to the U.S. Department of Defense and provide recommendations for the future of the department's artificial intelligence posture.

Jan 26, 2021
Report

An Experiment in Tactical Wargaming with Platforms Enabled by Artificial Intelligence

RAND researchers explored the capabilities and limitations of future artificial intelligence and machine learning weapon systems in two wargame experiments that brought together operators and engineers.

Dec 29, 2020
Commentary

Arms Control Held Hostage

President-elect Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have wisely promised to extend the 2010 New START Treaty, which cuts long-range nuclear arms. The two leaders may also pursue a broader follow-on accord, but frigid U.S.-Russian relations could put this out of reach. Progress on arms control often comes when political winds are warmer.

Dec 28, 2020
Report

The Composition and Employment of Software Personnel in the U.S. Department of Defense: An Initial Analysis

The authors identify and characterize a subset of the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD's) software workforce, the types of software developed within DoD, and the variety of methods DoD programs use when employing that workforce to develop software.

Dec 24, 2020
Report

Japan's Ability and Willingness to Assist U.S. Forces in the East China Sea

Should a conventional high-end contingency erupt in the East China Sea between the United States and China, Japan could support the U.S. military. But that assistance would be limited, in terms of capabilities, existing legal restrictions, and political realities.

Dec 14, 2020
Report

Trends in U.S. Air Force Aircraft Mishap Rates (1950–2018)

The authors describe trends in U.S. Air Force aircraft mishap rates and assess the impact of such factors as aircraft age on those rates over time.

Nov 30, 2020

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