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National Security and Terrorism

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RAND conducts a broad array of national security research for the U.S. Department of Defense and allied ministries of defense. Our federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) explore threat assessment, military acquisition, technology, recruitment and personnel management, counterinsurgency, intelligence, and readiness. RAND is a world leader in terrorism research. Studies address such topics as terrorism financing and strategies to undermine violent extremism.

Report
Great-Power Competition Outside the Indo-Pacific and Europe
The United States, China, and Russia are competing for influence in secondary theaters like Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Where and why could competition turn into conflict, and what form might that conflict take?
Apr 25, 2023
Report
Demographic Diversity of the DoD STEM Workforce
Within the Department of Defense's STEM workforce, which demographic groups are subject to the greatest compensation disparity when compared with white men? What measures can the Pentagon take to address these discrepancies?
Apr 27, 2023

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Journal Article
Invisible Blockades and Strategic Coercion
The use of naval mines goes back more than two centuries, but the use of these weapons by both Russia and Ukraine has renewed discussion about the value of this technology for modern warfare.
Jun 7, 2023
Journal Article
Not-So-Great Powers: U.S.-China Rivalry in the Neomedieval Age
Counterintuitive as might sound, U.S. decisionmakers should avoid strategies and methods drawn from industrial-age great power competition.
Jun 7, 2023
Commentary
What Is the Long-Term Strategy for Ukraine's Air Force?
It is encouraging that Ukraine might receive F-16s to improve its combat capabilities. Western policymakers might begin thinking now about what the Ukrainian Air Force may require in the future, especially if the Russian threat remains acute.
Jun 6, 2023
Commentary
U.S.-China Rivalry in an Era of Weakening States
With their weakened state capacity, disengaged publics, and imbalanced economies, the United States and China break the pattern seen in other rivalries between great powers. New theories and ideas will be required to cope with problems largely unknown to the great-power rivals of the recent past.
Jun 6, 2023
Report
U.S.-China Rivalry in a Neomedieval World
The neomedieval era, which began around 2000, is characterized by weakening states, fragmenting societies, imbalanced economies, and informalized warfare. What do these conditions mean for competition—and potential conflict—between the United States and China?
Jun 6, 2023
Report
Military-to-Civilian Occupational Matching: Using the O*NET to Provide Match Recommendations for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force
The authors employ a unique method for military-to-civilian occupational matching by comparing survey data collected from service members in selected military occupations with similar data previously collected for civilian occupations.
Jun 6, 2023
Journal Article
An Unwinnable War: Washington Needs an Endgame in Ukraine
While the Western response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine was clear from the start, the objective has been nebulous. After over a year of fighting, the likely direction of this war is coming into focus.
Jun 6, 2023
Commentary
Amid an Epidemic of Loneliness, Nonprofits Are Helping Keep Veterans Connected
Many nonprofit organizations in the United States seek to support veterans and foster social connection. The connections and sense of community these programs are building can help to combat the loneliness epidemic that is affecting veterans and non-veterans alike.
Jun 5, 2023
Commentary
America Is Winning Against China in Oceania
The United States retains enormous advantages in Oceania and should not be alarmed by China's security activities in the region. Washington should nevertheless keep a close eye on Beijing's moves, particularly against small and weak nations that will struggle to counter Chinese coercive activities on their own.
Jun 4, 2023
Blog
Arming Teachers, F-16s in Ukraine, Commercial Spaceflight: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how teachers feel about arming teachers, what F-16s will (and won't) do for Ukraine, the need to regulate commercial spaceflight, and more.
Jun 2, 2023
Commentary
An Autistic Soldier Wants You to Read This
Despite the recruitment challenges it is currently facing, the Army continues to make personnel decisions based on last century's understanding of neurodivergent diagnoses. The loosening of stigma associated with these diagnoses could improve recruitment, and the Army might reap the benefits of neurodiversity.
Jun 1, 2023
Commentary
The Russian Military's Looming Personnel Crises of Retention and Veteran Mental Heath
Russia's looming troop-retention and veteran-treatment problems are already visible on the horizon, even though they have been delayed by policy. By invading Ukraine, Russia has created a wave of severe trauma that will soon crash over its own country.
Jun 1, 2023
Journal Article
Geographical Access to Specialized Behavioral Health Treatment Programs for U.S. Active Duty Service Members and Military Families from Military Installations
The purpose of this study is to determine geographical access to specialized behavioral health programs tailored to active duty U.S. service members and military families from military installations.
Jun 1, 2023
Report
Designing a New Framework for the U.S. Space Force Workforce
The authors of this Perspective outline a way for the U.S. Space Force to develop its officer workforce that is not tied to the traditional Air Force structure of stovepiped career fields.
Jun 1, 2023
Report
National Guard Youth ChalleNGe: Program Progress in 2021–2022
The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program serves young people ages 16 to 18 experiencing difficulty in traditional high school. This report covers the program years 2021–2022 and is the seventh in a series on this quasi-military residential program.
Jun 1, 2023
Report
Chinese Next-Generation Psychological Warfare
China is interested in both advanced computing and brain science to expand and improve its psychological warfare capabilities. How might this affect U.S.-China dynamics in peacetime competition, crisis, and conflict?
Jun 1, 2023
Report
Great-Power Competition and Conflict in the Middle East
This report explores the potential for competition among the United States, China, and Russia in the Middle East; where and why competition might turn into conflict; what form that conflict might take; and the implications for the United States.
Jun 1, 2023
Commentary
Is Ecuador in the Middle of a Self-Coup?
On May 17, the president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, dissolved the country's legislature in the midst of impeachment proceedings against him. Did Ecuador just have a self-coup? The answer matters greatly for the country's democratic trajectory and for the international community's response.
May 31, 2023
Commentary
What F-16s Will (and Won't) Do for Ukraine
After months of publicly lobbying to acquire U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, it appears that Ukraine may receive them later this year. However, there remains a long road ahead before the F-16s would see service in Ukraine—and it is an open question how much they would affect the outcome of the war.
May 31, 2023
Report
Climate Change Dilemmas for UK Defence and Security: Exploring implications, challenges, opportunities and threats through future scenarios
We explored the implications of climate-change on the UK Ministry of Defence's ability to deliver its priority outcomes. We developed narrative vignettes to facilitate analysis of climate change dilemmas and implications in a participatory event.
May 31, 2023

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RAND Topic:
National Security and Terrorism

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Drake Warren

Policy Researcher

Drake Warren is a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. His research interests span several areas of national security. Throughout his career, much of his work has focused on management of national security organizations, especially in their research, development, test, and evaluation…
Beth Grill

Senior Policy Analyst

Beth Grill is a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation specializing in national security policy. Her research focuses on security cooperation, partner nation assessment, special operations, global health engagement, and strategic planning. She has led a series of key research studies on…

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