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Military Intelligence

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Military intelligence includes information on other countries' military forces, plans, and operations gained through a variety of collection methods. RAND analyzes this intelligence to help civilian policymakers and military leaders understand political and military trends around the world, the sources of potential regional conflict, and emerging threats to the global security environment, and provides recommendations on how best to employ information-gathering techniques and technologies.

Report

Artificial Intelligence Systems in Intelligence Analysis

Aug 26, 2021

The U.S. military and intelligence community have shown interest in using artificial intelligence systems to support intelligence analysis. But deploying AI systems in a national security context requires the ability to measure how well they will perform in the context of their mission.
Essay

Civilian Casualties: Lessons from the Battle for Raqqa

Jul 1, 2022

The United States' emphasis on minimizing civilian harm in Raqqa, Syria, was quite clear and strong up and down the chain of command. But the way in which the U.S. military waged war in Raqqa too often undercut that commitment. The Pentagon asked RAND to find out what happened.

Explore Military Intelligence

News Release

Efforts to Avoid Civilian Casualties in Raqqa, Syria, in 2017 Were Considerable but Insufficient

U.S. strategic choices in the battle to liberate Raqqa, Syria, from ISIS in 2017 likely increased civilian harm despite considerable efforts to avoid civilian casualties by both U.S. and coalition forces.

Mar 31, 2022
Report

Efforts to Avoid Civilian Casualties in Raqqa Were Considerable but Insufficient

The 2017 battle to liberate Raqqa, Syria, from ISIS is a cautionary tale in 21st-century conflicts. U.S. strategic choices likely increased civilian harm despite considerable efforts to avoid civilian casualties by both U.S. and coalition forces. What lessons can be applied to future operations?

Mar 31, 2022
Report

Improving Intelligence Support to the Future Warfighter: Acquisition for the Contested Environment

In view of new and increasingly sophisticated threats from peer and near-peer adversaries, the authors suggest reforms to the processes by which intelligence informs the U.S. Air Force acquisition enterprise.

Nov 4, 2021
Tool

Handbook for Tactical Operations in the Information Environment

With its quick-reference format and series of illustrative vignettes, this handbook facilitates problem-solving and highlights how early-career officers in tactical units can contribute to operations in the information environment.

Oct 4, 2021
Report

Documenting Intelligence Mission-Data Production Requirements: How the U.S. Department of Defense Can Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness by Streamlining the Production Requirement Process

The authors examine issues relating to the identification of requirements for Intelligence Mission Data and intelligence production for the Acquisition Intelligence Requirements Task Force.

Aug 3, 2021
Report

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

Commanders, planners, and operators across the U.S. Air Force's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) enterprise face difficult decisions about how to best meet ISR needs. How can the U.S. Air Force better assess the value of airborne ISR?

Jun 11, 2021
Research Brief

Improving Intelligence Support for Operations in the Information Environment

Challenges to effective intelligence support for operations in the information environment (OIE) can be addressed by improving processes, prioritizing support for OIE, training and educating personnel, and optimally allocating personnel.

Dec 9, 2020
Report

Intelligence Support for Operations in the Information Environment: Dividing Roles and Responsibilities Between Intelligence and Information Professionals

Operations in the information environment require close coordination between intelligence and information operations personnel, but this does not often occur in practice. A review of these challenges highlighted a range of potential solutions.

Dec 9, 2020
Report

Operationally Relevant Artificial Training for Machine Learning: Improving the Performance of Automated Target Recognition Systems

The authors explore whether an object-detection model trained on artificial images could evaluate real images as an automated target recognition system, an important advancement in artificial intelligence and machine learning for the U.S military.

Nov 18, 2020
Report

Why America Fails in Irregular Warfare

A memoir drawn from four decades of experience in the U.S. Army explores the strengths and limitations of America's irregular warfare capability. The author, who often saw success at the tactical level only to be followed by strategic muddling and eventual failure, offers ideas on how to develop a world-class way of irregular war.

Jul 29, 2020
Report

Frameworks for Assessing USEUCOM Efforts to Inform, Influence, and Persuade

Campaigns to inform, influence, and persuade a range of foreign audiences are critical to achieving key U.S. national security objectives, but it can be challenging to assess the effectiveness of these efforts. How can assessment design and planning support U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) efforts?

Jul 2, 2020
Commentary

South Korea Should Consider Sticking with Intelligence-Sharing Pact with Japan

South Korea announced its intent to withdraw from an intelligence-sharing arrangement with Japan. There are four reasons that Seoul should strongly consider reversing course.

Nov 5, 2019
Blog

Roberta Wohlstetter: A Military Analyst Ahead of Her Time

RAND researcher Roberta Wohlstetter is known for her theory about why the attack on Pearl Harbor took the United States by surprise. Her book was later used as a lens for analyzing the Cuban Missile Crisis and the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Mar 7, 2019
Report

Science-Based Scenario Design: A Proposed Method to Support Political-Strategic Analysis

How can nonmilitary factors be used in defense planning? The authors distinguish between political-strategic and military decisions and discuss recent findings regarding crisis and war variables to create science-based structured scenarios.

Feb 18, 2019
Commentary

Intelligence Losses Pose Large Risks as U.S. Troops Head Home

Departing theaters such as Syria and Afghanistan carries a host of associated risks, challenges and potential benefits. Leaders would be well served to factor into the debate the importance of U.S. intelligence collection capabilities, its connection to U.S. presence overseas and its role in anticipating current and future threats.

Jan 24, 2019
Commentary

Explaining the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) Critical Role in National Security

Despite its varied roles and responsibilities, the DIA can be boiled down to just two core missions: intelligence analysis and intelligence collection. Having a better understanding of these core missions could help to properly frame the agency’s value to the intelligence, military, and policymaking communities.

Jan 11, 2019
Report

Strategic Warning on NATO's Eastern Flank: Pitfalls, Prospects, and Limits

Russian military modernization raises concerns about the Intelligence Community's (IC's) ability to warn of Russian aggression, particularly on NATO's eastern flank. Using themes from past events, the report makes recommendations to improve warning.

Mar 7, 2018
Commentary

Presidential Intelligence Briefings: The Process Is Working. But Is Trump Listening?

President Trump receives intelligence briefings on a fairly regular basis and he appears engaged in discussions with senior staff and the intelligence community about content. Ideally, this process is informing his national security decisionmaking.

Feb 15, 2018

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RAND Topic:
Military Intelligence

Topic Synonyms:
MI

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