Skip to page content

Military Strategy

Featured

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.

Commentary
Revealing the Impact of Non-Lethal Weapons
Non-lethal weapons can be useful to U.S. military forces in a variety of contexts, but the Pentagon faces a challenge in ensuring their appropriate use and evaluating the potential effects of their deployment.
Jun 15, 2022
Report
Determining the Military Capabilities Most Needed to Counter China and Russia
U.S. decisionmakers face difficult choices when investing scarce military resources into capabilities that can effectively thwart Russian and Chinese aggression. What is the blueprint for success?
Jun 22, 2022

Explore Military Strategy

Report
A New Approach to U.S. Security Policy in the Middle East
U.S. interests in the Middle East and the risks posed to them have evolved in ways that call for a modified set of priorities. The United States should not disengage from the region, but instead protect its interests by relying less on military operations and more on diplomacy and other civilian tools.
Sep 22, 2022
Blog
RAND Experts React to Putin's Latest Threatening Rhetoric
Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to double down on his country's war effort during a major speech, calling up hundreds of thousands of new troops, threatening Ukraine and the West, vowing to use “all the means at our disposal,” and pointing out that he is not bluffing. Here's what RAND experts had to say.
Sep 21, 2022
Commentary
Ukraine's 1777 Moment
The Battle of Saratoga turned the tides of the Revolutionary War, ultimately leading to American independence. Nearly 250 years later, the Battle of Kharkiv may be a similar turning point in Ukraine's fight against Russia.
Sep 19, 2022
Commentary
The Rise of the Rest: How Russia Views the Future World Order
What Russia seeks is new political leadership across the Western world that does not support a status quo that can isolate Russia from the capital and technology it needs to generate security and prosperity over the long term.
Sep 19, 2022
Commentary
The Wisdom of U.S. Restraint on Russia
The United States has been gradually increasing assistance to Ukraine without provoking a wider war. Although this approach has frustrated Ukrainian leaders and many observers, it reflects the best traditions of Cold War–era crisis diplomacy—pursuing U.S. interests while avoiding a direct clash with a rival, always with an eye on the long term.
Sep 12, 2022
Blog
Veterans Health Care, Media Literacy, Sleep Retreats: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the challenges of VA community care, the importance of improving middle schoolers' media literacy skills, tips to improve sleep, and more.
Sep 9, 2022
Blog
Back to School, Vaccinating Kids, Space Security: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the well-being of America's educators, the effort to vaccinate kids and teens, security in outer space, and more.
Sep 2, 2022
Report
Economic Benefits of U.S. Alliances and Military Engagement
Decisions about alliances and forward military presence should be based on a range of factors beyond potential economic benefits. But there is evidence that military engagement has historically helped the U.S. economy by promoting international commerce.
Sep 1, 2022
Announcement
Barry Pavel Named Vice President and Director of the RAND National Security Research Division
Veteran national security leader and defense strategist Barry Pavel has joined the RAND Corporation as vice president and director of the RAND National Security Research Division, which operates the National Defense Research Institute (NDRI), a federally funded research and development center.
Aug 31, 2022
Report
Book Discussion with National Security Correspondent Michael Gordon
The RAND Center for Middle East Public Policy hosted a book discussion featuring Michael Gordon, a national security correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. Gordon and a panel of Middle East experts discussed his new book, "Degrade and Destroy."
Aug 30, 2022
Blog
Politicized Topics in School, the War in Ukraine, Post-Quantum Cryptography: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the intrusion of politicized topics in America's schools, where the war in Ukraine may be headed, post-quantum cryptography, and more.
Aug 12, 2022
Commentary
Finnish and Swedish NATO Membership: Toward a Larger, Stronger, Smarter Alliance
Finland and Sweden are poised to become full NATO members in the near future. The Nordic pair's entry into NATO means that alliance leaders and planners confront new challenges, and just as many opportunities.
Aug 12, 2022
Commentary
A New Era? NATO's Prioritisation of Human Security in an Insecure World
Human security and NATO's role and responsibility to protect civilians during conflict saw new prioritization in the alliance's 2022 Strategic Concept. While much progress has been made, more could be done to ensure the alliance can deliver on these commitments.
Aug 10, 2022
Commentary
The Case for Cautious Optimism in Ukraine
While the outcome of the war in Ukraine is by no means clear, the balance of materiel, manpower, and willpower all seem to make the case for cautious optimism. Although Ukraine is unlikely to throw Russia back to its borders any time soon, the war will likely trend in Ukraine's favor in the coming months. But only if the West does not blink first.
Aug 9, 2022
Commentary
Is the Virtue in the Weapon or the Cause?
The Biden administration's recent announcement of its intention to adhere to the provisions of the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel landmines has real consequences. This decision is the latest in the long controversy over the use of anti-personnel landmines and, more broadly, what means are moral in war.
Aug 5, 2022
Research Brief
Evaluating the Use of Non-Lethal Weapons in Operational Environments
This brief summarizes a RAND-developed methodology to evaluate the impact of non-lethal weapons in a way that better informs Department of Defense decisions about their development, integration into military forces, and use in diverse contexts.
Aug 5, 2022
Journal Article
Emerging Trends in Naval Mining Capabilities
Although mines using decades-old technology remain menacing, several broad technological trends are likely to enhance the threat from naval mines in the next few decades.
Aug 5, 2022
Commentary
Russia's Withdrawal from the ISS, Another Sign of Its Space Decline?
Russia's threatened exit from the International Space Station could simply be more bluster from Moscow at a time of heightened tension between Russia and the West over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But it also appears to be another signal that Russia's profile in space is in decline, a trend that is likely to continue and that the United States could be preparing for now.
Aug 4, 2022
Journal Article
The Imperative to Defend Minefields
Minefields can impede an adversary fleet's ability to sortie from port. But once laid, they must be defended to prevent sweeping operations.
Aug 3, 2022
Commentary
Might Russia Turn to Terror Bombing Civilians in Ukraine?
Recent Russian missile attacks against civilian targets in cities far away from the front lines have killed scores of Ukrainians, leading to widespread outrage. These events raise the question of whether the war in Ukraine is entering a new phase in which terror attacks might become common.
Jul 29, 2022

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Next

RAND Topic:
Military Strategy

Research conducted by