Naval Warfare

  • Stranded ship Ever Given, one of the world's largest container ships, after it ran aground, in the Suez Canal, March 28, 2021, photo by Suez Canal Authority/Handout via Reuters

    Commentary

    The Suez Grounding Was an Accident. The Next Blocked Chokepoint Might Not Be

    The recent spectacle of a hulking container ship wedged into the Suez Canal is a reminder of how vulnerable maritime transportation is to blocked chokepoints. The fragility of maritime lifelines may encourage the use of this tactic in future conflict.

    Mar 30, 2021

  • PLA Qiandaohu, a Chinese navy ship, steams in close formation as one of 42 ships and submarines from 15 international partner nations during Rim of the Pacific 2014, photo by Shannon E. Renfroe/U.S. Navy

    Report

    Command and Control in U.S. Naval Competition with China

    The navies of the United States and China will likely face challenges as they shift to new missions unless they adapt their existing concepts of command and control. Their willingness to adapt could prove to be decisive in maritime rivalry, and perhaps in the overall balance of strategic competition between the two nations.

    Dec 17, 2020

  • The USS John S. McCain conducts a replenishment-at-sea with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force fast combat support ship JS Omi, November 28, 2020, photo by MC2 Markus Castaneda/U.S. Navy

    Report

    Japan's Ability and Willingness to Assist U.S. Forces in the East China Sea

    Should a conventional high-end contingency erupt in the East China Sea between the United States and China, Japan could support the U.S. military. But that assistance would be limited, in terms of capabilities, existing legal restrictions, and political realities.

    Dec 14, 2020

  • The Royal Australian Navy vessel Her Majesty's Australian Ship Adelaide (III) is escorted by a small boat upon arrival for a goodwill visit in Metro Manila, Philippines, October 10, 2017, photo by Romeo Ranoco/Reuters

    Testimony

    Australia’s Naval Shipbuilding Capability

    During the past decade, Australia has used research to understand the cost, benefits, and challenges of national shipbuilding strategies and decisions. What recent developments should Australia's policymakers consider when planning naval ship programs?

    Nov 12, 2020

  • Report

    Report

    Unlocking NATO's Amphibious Potential: Lessons from the Past, Insights for the Future

    Researchers analyze the past, present, and future employment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's amphibious forces, highlight ongoing initiatives, and identify several efforts that should be pursued to advance its amphibious capabilities.

    Nov 9, 2020

  • The USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) during a Freedom of Navigation Operation in the South China Sea

    Journal Article

    Military Build-Up in the South China Sea

    This book chapter explores the very latest developments in the South China Sea maritime dispute.

    Jan 22, 2020

  • A helicopter lands during the trident juncture exercise in the Netherlands

    Report

    NATO's Amphibious Forces: Command and Control of a Multibrigade Alliance Task Force

    At the request of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, RAND researchers facilitated three wargaming events exploring how to leverage and enhance the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s existing amphibious capacity by organizing extant national forces into a coherent multibrigade command and control (C2) structure.

    Jun 27, 2019

  • Sailors and civilian personnel remotely pilot an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) from ashore several miles away, photo by Ken Rose/U.S. Navy

    Report

    Advancing Autonomous Systems: An Analysis of Current and Future Technology for Unmanned Maritime Vehicles

    In this report, RAND researchers explore current and potential military applications of autonomous systems, focusing especially on unmanned undersea vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles.

    Jan 4, 2019

  • Navy ships guard while a sea mine is destroyed at the Irben Strait in the Baltic sea, near Riga, Latvia, May 20, 2009

    Commentary

    Small States Can Use Naval Mines and Unmanned Vehicles to Deter Maritime Aggression

    Small coastal nations face potential threats from larger, more powerful adversaries. Their coastlines represent vulnerabilities that a foe may seek to exploit. But these nations can hinder and deter potential aggressors by using less expensive systems, such as naval mines and unmanned vehicles.

    Jul 16, 2018

  • Vietnamese military members march during an honor guard ceremony at the Ministry of Defense in Hanoi, Vietnam

    Journal Article

    Can Vietnam's Military Stand Up to China in the South China Sea?

    This article examines Vietnam's warfighting capabilities for defending its disputed claims with China in the South China Sea.

    Feb 22, 2018

  • U.S. Navy amphibious assault vehicles enter the sea during BALTOPS, an annual NATO exercise, near Ventspils, Latvia, June 6, 2017

    Blog

    Amphibious Plans and Posture in Support of NATO Event Held at RAND

    A RAND workshop focused on the importance of amphibious and maritime forces working together within NATO. This provided a venue for dialogue and idea exchange about maritime and amphibious challenges and opportunities in Europe.

    Jan 19, 2018

  • A Russian soldier on top of an army vehicle keeps watch outside a border guard post in the Crimean town of Balaclava, March 1, 2014

    Report

    How Russia's Military Has Evolved

    The Russian armed forces are not like the Soviet Army in size, depth, or global ideological aspirations. But Russia has demonstrated its military competence and operational flexibility in Crimea, eastern Ukraine, and Syria.

    Dec 7, 2017

  • Expeditionary Unit (MEU) depart the well deck of the amphibious assault ship, USS Makin Island, in a combat rubber raiding craft during Tiger Strike 2016

    Testimony

    Amphibious Operations in Contested Environments

    Amphibious forces can be useful in a variety of settings. But the reach and lethality of today's weapons make parts of amphibious operations especially challenging.

    May 18, 2017

  • The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group in formation with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships for a photo exercise, November 23, 2015

    Commentary

    Transforming 'Distributed Lethality' Strategy into Action

    Distributed lethality offers a more offensive approach to using naval surface forces as potential adversaries acquire naval capabilities designed to control the sea. Translating the concept into action has implications for Navy operations, logistics, finances, and overall strategy.

    Feb 8, 2016

  • Congressional Briefing Podcast

    Multimedia

    United States and China: Trends in Military Competition

    In this October 2015 congressional briefing, Eric Heginbotham discusses relative U.S. and Chinese military capabilities, including the evolution of Chinese military capabilities, steps the United States can take to limit the impact of a growing Chinese military on deterrence, and other U.S. strategic interests.

    Oct 5, 2015

  • News Release

    News Release

    China's Military Modernization Increasingly Challenges U.S. Defense Capabilities in Asia

    Although China continues to lag behind the United States in terms of aggregate military hardware and operational skills, it has improved its capabilities relative to those of the U.S. in many critical areas. Moreover, China does not need to catch up fully in order to challenge U.S. ability to conduct effective military operations near the Chinese mainland.

    Sep 14, 2015

  • The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, en route to the Western Pacific Ocean

    Research Brief

    Chinese Threats to U.S. Surface Ships

    China has rapidly improved its ability to reliably locate and attack U.S. carrier-strike groups at distances of up to 2,000 kilometers from its coast in a possible military conflict.

    Sep 14, 2015

  • U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Chinese army Gen. Fang Fenghui, China's chief of the general staff, salute during a ceremony in Beijing, April 22, 2013

    Research Brief

    Tallying the U.S.-China Military Scorecard

    A set of “scorecards” assesses the relative capabilities of U.S. and Chinese military forces in diverse types of conflict, at varying distances from the Chinese mainland, and at different points in time.

    Sep 14, 2015

  • Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy recruits march during a parade in Qingdao, Shandong province, December 5, 2013

    Report

    China's Military Modernization Increasingly Challenges U.S. Defense Capabilities in Asia

    Although China continues to lag behind the United States in terms of aggregate military hardware and operational skills, it has improved its capabilities relative to those of the U.S. in many critical areas. Moreover, China does not need to catch up fully in order to challenge U.S. ability to conduct effective military operations near the Chinese mainland.

    Sep 14, 2015

  • The Royal Australian Navy guided-missile frigate HMAS Perth arrives in Pearl Harbor during a routine port visit

    Report

    Weighing Options for Australia's Naval Shipbuilding

    Australia is examining an enterprise-level naval shipbuilding plan. All three options—sustaining a domestic naval shipbuilding industry, buying ships from foreign shipbuilders, or building ships partially in-country and partially overseas—have complex consequences and trade-offs.

    Apr 15, 2015