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Military Strategy

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RAND research on military strategy has ranged from issues related to the tactics that lead to success in armed engagements, to work that describes how the size and deployment of one nation's military affects its political relationships with others.

Report

America Needs a Collaborative Approach to Manage Its Adversaries and Strengthen Its Partnerships

Jan 5, 2016

How should the United States manage its relationships with partners and adversaries in a world of shrinking defense budgets and reduced political will for international engagement?

Explore Military Strategy

Essay

Understanding North Korea

How should the U.S. respond to North Korea's provocative behavior? Even the best military options could be cataclysmically bad, but there are nonmilitary options to convince Kim Jong Un that the costs of his provocations outweigh any benefits.

Aug 18, 2017
Commentary

The North Korea Standoff: Have We Been Here Before?

How the United States responded to China's nuclear weapons program last century can provide lessons for today's debate about North Korea. For instance, the conclusion that the only option is deterrence is still sound.

Aug 14, 2017
Commentary

Contain, Deter, Transform: A Winning Strategy on North Korea

North Korea's missile tests and reported progress in nuclear warhead design have produced a volatile new urgency in U.S. policy. Contain, deter, and transform isn't a radical solution, but it's one that has worked before. This approach could preserve U.S. interests while avoiding war.

Aug 9, 2017
Report

What Is Russia's Strategy in the Middle East?

Russia's regional strategy is an approach of ways and means, where broad principles take the place of prescribed ends. Moscow is constantly seeking to improve its short-term economic, military, and political advantages.

Aug 7, 2017
Blog

RAND's Summer Reading List for Congress

Hill staffers can make the most of the Congressional recess with this list of must-read research and commentary on the policy issues they will be addressing this fall.

Aug 4, 2017
Tool

Tool

Assessing Impact to Inform Decisions: A Toolkit on Measures for Policymakers

This toolkit provides a very brief overview of how to identify concepts that should be measured by policymakers, how to evaluate measures, and how to identify new measures that can contribute to better-informed decisions, plans, and assessments.

Jul 25, 2017
Multimedia

North Korea's Continuous Provocations

In this July 17th, 2017 congressional briefing, Bruce W. Bennett, Senior International/Defense Researcher, discusses North Korea's nuclear missile programs, its changing relationship with China, and implications for U.S. policy.

Jul 17, 2017
Commentary

A Surgical Strike Against North Korea? Not a Viable Option

North Korea's July 4 launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit American soil has renewed talk of military intervention. But an effective limited military strike with minimal collateral damage and no escalation simply won't work.

Jul 14, 2017
Report

Strengthening Strategic Stability with Russia

Strategic stability between the United States and Russia is eroding, but the two countries still share a deep interest in avoiding nuclear war. Strengthening stability will be challenging. Meaningful progress will require courage and sacrifices on both sides.

Jul 7, 2017
Commentary

How China Could Truly Rein in North Korea

China has key pressure points at its disposal to help deter North Korea from nuclear activities. It could cut off oil supplies or limit other trade, or crack down on illicit finance networks as many of the banks laundering money for the regime are in China. It could also stop shielding Pyongyang at the UN.

Jun 20, 2017
Commentary

End the Korean War, Finally

Sixty-four years ago, the Korean War was suspended by a cease-fire. A peace treaty was never signed. Standing ready to formally end this old war may be the key to dismantling North Korea's nuclear program without starting a new one.

Jun 8, 2017
Commentary

SOF's Evolving Role: Warfare 'By, With, and Through' Local Forces

U.S. special operations forces are not providing the muscle of the frontline combat troops fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Instead, they are providing meaningful support to the various indigenous forces. If they succeed, this model could become a standard option in the U.S. military playbook.

May 9, 2017
Testimony

Testimony

Deterring Russian Aggression in the Baltic States: What it Takes to Win: Addendum

Document submitted April 17, 2017, as an addendum to testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces on March 1, 2017.

May 2, 2017
Commentary

How Trump Can Deter Russia and All of America's Other Enemies

There is no such thing as blanket deterrence. Rather, one must deter a specific adversary from taking a specific action. A holistic approach should include ramping up U.S. capabilities to anticipate emerging threats, including events that are unlikely to happen.

Apr 26, 2017
Multimedia

Direction of Foreign Policy in Trump Administration's First 100 Days

In this Call with the Experts, RAND senior fellow, James Dobbins, as well as RAND senior international policy analyst, Linda Robinson, discuss the Trump administration's emerging foreign policy strategy as it approaches the symbolic 100-day milestone.

Apr 26, 2017
Commentary

Despite Promising Signs, China's North Korea Policy Unchanged

Official statements and public discussions on China's willingness to punish or otherwise influence North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a direction favorable to U.S. interests have been optimistic lately. But China's continued support of the North should temper expectations.

Apr 24, 2017
Research Brief

Research Brief

Domestic Factors Could Accelerate the Evolution of China's Nuclear Posture

This brief discusses how domestic factors could influence China's evolving nuclear deterrent.

Apr 20, 2017
Testimony

Chinese Contingency Planning for Regional Hotspots

The Chinese People's Liberation Army has modernized significantly over the past two decades—bringing in world-class inventory and new technology. But the major issue facing the PLA remains its ability to adequately train and prepare staffs for a range of scenarios.

Apr 13, 2017
Commentary

The Need for a Strategy from the Trump Administration

The Trump administration's strategy toward Syria, Russia, and its campaign to counter the Islamic State group needs to be guided by a clear sense of priorities and realism regarding the stakes for the U.S. Its standing in the Middle East and the world could depend on how skillfully this crisis is handled.

Apr 10, 2017
Commentary

A Three-Menu Path for Trump Foreign Policy

The Trump administration would benefit from a comprehensive strategic orientation — a basic set of operating principles backed by a set of actions and realistic budget — to guide the innumerable tactical decisions of U.S. foreign policy.

Apr 10, 2017

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RAND Topic:
Military Strategy

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