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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

Commentary

Can China Be a Real Partner in Bringing North Korea to the Nuclear Negotiating Table?

The United States remains committed to the goal of denuclearization of North Korea. China is more interested in maintaining a delicate geopolitical balance to counter U.S. influence in the region and in expanding its own reach. Thus, prospects for productive U.S.-China cooperation on the North Korean nuclear threat seem faint at best.

Jul 14, 2021
Multimedia

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

Indian civilian and military leadership face investment choices that go beyond the decision to buy the S-400. To be effective, the S-400 needs to be deployed within a larger integrated air and missile defense system and requires a very skilled military workforce to operate. Otherwise, it will prove to be a costly and expensive military extravagance.

Jul 13, 2021
Multimedia

Russia's Su-57 Heavy Fighter Bomber: Is It Really a Fifth-Generation Aircraft?

RAND Defense Analyst Ryan Bauer discusses the variety of developmental challenges that the Russian Su-57 fifth-generation jet has experienced, decreasing the likelihood of Russia exporting the aircraft for a number of years despite continued marketing efforts.

Jul 13, 2021
Commentary

North Korean Nuclear Weapons Pose an Existential Threat to China

Despite the current border closures between their two countries, China and North Korea remain resolutely pledged to a “blood-alliance.” But this partnership has vastly different implications depending on which side of the border you consider.

Jul 13, 2021
Commentary

Why Iran May Be in No Hurry to Get Nuclear Weapons Even Without a Nuclear Deal

History shows that many countries with advanced nuclear technologies but without nuclear bombs opt to stay that way. There are reasons to believe that Iran, too, may choose to remain non-nuclear at least in the foreseeable future.

Jun 28, 2021
Report

Persistent Challenges in UK Defence Equipment Acquisition

This paper identifies underlying and cross-cutting factors that contribute to seemingly intractable challenges in defence equipment acquisition programmes. It also discusses measures that could help address these inefficiencies going forward.

Jun 23, 2021
Commentary

The Real Tragedy of Israel's Wars in Gaza

Israel's strategy in Gaza of repeatedly cutting back Hamas's military capabilities before it gets strong enough to do Israel any serious harm is known as “mowing the grass.” Unfortunately this approach offers no alternative to continued bloodshed.

Jun 22, 2021
Report

How Would NATO Compete with Russia?

Western threat perceptions of Russia have risen sharply in recent years, bolstered by its acts of military aggression, political interference, and efforts to expand its global influence. What would be the strengths, weaknesses, and risks for the United States, NATO, and Russia in a large-scale war?

Jun 22, 2021
Content

Where Russia Markets and Sells Advanced Conventional Weapons

Russia uses arms exports to further relations with other countries, influence their political and military leaders, and further its broader foreign and defense policy goals. A series of maps show the extent of its marketing, negotiating, and sales of key weapons systems.

Jun 11, 2021
Report

Assessing the Value of Intelligence Collected by U.S. Air Force Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Platforms

This report presents an approach to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) assessments that seeks to articulate the costs and benefits of U.S. Air Force airborne ISR in specific operational contexts.

Jun 11, 2021
Journal Article

Bomber Strike Packages with Chinese Characteristics

This book chapter traces the development of China's bomber strike packages and assesses how these flights support operational training for Chinese air force wartime missions.

Jun 10, 2021
Report

Deciphering Chinese Deterrence Signalling in the New Era: An Analytic Framework and Seven Case Studies

The authors examine how China's approach to deterrence signalling is evolving along with its expanding objectives, growing military capabilities, and the availability of new communication channels—and how regional countries should respond.

May 27, 2021
Blog

Vaccine Hesitancy, Working from Home, Arctic Diplomacy: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on vaccine hesitancy as a symptom of ‘Truth Decay,’ how to make remote work beneficial for all, U.S. Arctic diplomacy, and more.

May 21, 2021
Commentary

Sanctions Targeting Russia's Defense Sector: Will They Influence Its Behavior?

In response to recent Russian cyber espionage, interference in U.S. elections, and the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, President Biden announced a new round of sanctions and expulsions of Russian officials. But will these sanctions hurt Russia's defense industry enough to curb the Kremlin's behavior?

May 20, 2021
Report

Weighing the Costs of GPS Disruption and Developing Backup Capabilities

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has a key role in national positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), but it is far from the only source of capability for PNT. Would national investment in GPS backup capabilities be warranted, given the potential threats to its functioning?

May 17, 2021
Journal Article

Through the Looking Glass: Chinese Open Source Assessments of North Korea's Ballistic Missile Capabilities

This report examines Chinese assessments of North Korean ballistic missile capabilities between 1998 and 2017. Chinese analyses mirror Western conclusions that North Korea has a functional ICBM that can reach the U.S. with a nuclear weapon.

May 14, 2021
Commentary

Biden's North Korea Policy Review Is Sparse on Details. Here's One Interpretation

The Biden administration recently completed its North Korea policy review. Details have been sparse, but based on prior U.S. dealings with the Kims, some informed guesses about Washington's approach towards Pyongyang under the new administration can be had. Here's one.

May 6, 2021
Commentary

Nuclear Ban Treaty Offers Rare Chance for Japan

As the only country to suffer the horrors of wartime atomic bombings, one would assume Japan would eagerly sign any treaty to ban such weapons. Why hasn't Japan signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which took effect in January 2021?

Apr 30, 2021
Commentary

How the Military Might Expand Its Cyber Skills

The U.S. military will need to improve its software fluency if it wants to be dominant on the battlefields of the future. Ensuring that future leaders in the military develop cyber skills and the ability to interface with technical experts may be increasingly important.

Apr 22, 2021
Blog

COVID-19 Demographic Trends, Vaccinating 'High-Contact' People, the Iran Threat Network: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how the pandemic is shaping demographic trends, targeting vaccines to "high-contact" people, the Iran Threat Network, and more.

Apr 16, 2021

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