Ships

Report
Increasing Aircraft Carrier Forward Presence
U.S. Navy aircraft carrier fleets must balance the timing of maintenance, training, and deployment with presence and surge demands. An evaluation of deployment scenarios examines the feasibility of different cycle lengths, their effect on carrier forward presence, and their impact on shipyard workloads.
Mar 17, 2008
Report
Small Ships in Theater Security Cooperation
The authors evaluate roles for small ships in theater security cooperation, present a concept of operations for employing such ships, describe necessary ship and crew characteristics, and survey classes of suitable vessels.
Mar 16, 2008
Research Brief
Getting the Most Out of Littoral Combat Ships
This research brief summarizes analysis of the Littoral Combat Ship, the U.S. Navy's first modular warship, suggesting the best locations for homeports, mission package installation sites, and the quantity of mission packages that should be procured.
Mar 11, 2008
Report
A Methodology for Estimating the Effect of Aircraft Carrier Operational Cycles on the Maintenance Industrial Base
Describes modeling the extension of time between depot maintenance, varying the size of work packages, and using continuous-maintenance on the maintenance industrial base, and the effect of cycle length on operational availability.
Jul 29, 2007
News Release
RAND Supply Chain Policy Center to Research Critical Issues in Freight Transportation
May 9, 2007 news release: RAND Supply Chain Policy Center to Research Critical Issues in Freight Transportation.
May 9, 2007
News Release
Navy Should Start Next Nuclear Submarine Design Phase Early to Prevent Engineering Brain Drain, RAND Study Finds
May 7, 2007 news release: Navy Should Start Next Nuclear Submarine Design Phase Early to Prevent Engineering Brain Drain, RAND Study Finds.
May 7, 2007
Report
Trade-offs in the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program
The U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program must negotiate trade-offs between three elements: the number of LCSs, the number of mission packages required, and the number and locations of homeports and mission package installation sites.
May 7, 2007
Report
Sustaining U.S. Nuclear Submarine Design Capabilities
Given a lack of demand for nuclear submarine design resources in the near future, workforce and workload management options are analyzed to suggest ways to constrain the cost, schedule, and risk involved in the design of the next submarine class.
May 1, 2007
Research Brief
Sustaining the Ability to Design Nuclear Submarines
This research brief summarizes an analysis of workforce and workload management options to suggest ways to constrain the cost, schedule, and risk involved in the design of the U.S. Navy's next nuclear submarine class.
Apr 25, 2007
Report
Sustaining the Ability to Design Nuclear Submarines
The U.S. Navy should start designing the next class of nuclear submarines five years ahead of schedule and stretch out the design period to prevent a critical erosion of skilled submarine designers and engineers.
Apr 18, 2007
Journal Article
The Container Security Initiative and Ocean Container Threats
This paper analyzes one program, the Container Security Initiative, which inspects high-risk U.S.-bound containers at foreign ports.
Jan 1, 2007
News Release
RAND Study Warns Maritime Terrorism Risk Extends Beyond Dangers Posed to Container Shipping
October 16, 2006 News Release: RAND Study Warns Maritime Terrorism Risk Extends Beyond Dangers Posed to Container Shipping.
Oct 16, 2006
Report
Maritime Terrorism Risk Extends Beyond Dangers Posed to Container Shipping
Maritime counterterrorism efforts should not only focus on the security of cargo container ships, rail cars and trucks. Cruise ships and ferry boats need more protection against terrorist attacks that could kill and injure many passengers and cause serious financial losses.
Oct 13, 2006
Research Brief
New Combat and Noncombat Roles for U.S. Aircraft Carriers
This research brief describes the range of new capabilities that U.S. aircraft carriers will require for combat and noncombat operations in the next 20 to 30 years.
Aug 29, 2006
Research Brief
Why Have Navy Ship Costs Risen?
This research brief examines the rising costs of U.S. Navy ships over the past few decades and what the service can do now and in the future to reduce these costs.
Jul 18, 2006
Report
Leveraging America’s Aircraft Carrier Capabilities: Exploring New Combat and Noncombat Roles and Missions for the U.S. Carrier Fleet
Using two Concept Options Groups, explores possible nontraditional combat and noncombat roles for aircraft carriers.
Apr 28, 2006
Report
Why Has The Cost of Navy Ships Risen? A Macroscopic Examination of the Trends in U.S. Naval Ship Costs Over the Past Several Decades
Examines why the increases in acquisition cost for U.S. naval ships have outpaced the rate of inflation over the past several decades.
Apr 20, 2006
Commentary
Securing America's Ports
Published commentary by RAND staff: Securing America's Ports, in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Mar 26, 2006
Report
Acquisition and Competition Strategy Options for the DD(X): The U.S. Navy’s 21st Century Destroyer
How can the Navy achieve the most effective competition among its suppliers during development and production of its new family of destroyers while ensuring that two shipyards remain in business to compete on future programs?
Jan 31, 2006
Report
The United Kingdom’s Nuclear Submarine Industrial Base, Volume 2: Ministry of Defence Roles and Required Technical Resources
Recommends measures and structures the UK Ministry of Defence can adopt to better manage its risks and responsibilities in submarine acquisition.
Dec 5, 2005

RAND Topic:
Ships

Topic Synonyms:
Boats;
Watercraft

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Michael Bohnert

Engineer

Michael Bohnert is a licensed engineer at the RAND Corporation. He has supported analysis work for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, SOCOM, U.S. Air Force, Australian DoD, and Canadian DND in topics including emerging and current technology, engineering and design, industrial base management,…

Brittany Clayton

Operations Researcher

Brittany Clayton is an operations researcher at the RAND Corporation. Her professional interests include lifecycle cost estimating and analysis, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, and acquisition policy research for defense programs. Clayton leverages a combination of quantitative and…

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Ships

Increasing Aircraft Carrier Forward Presence

Small Ships in Theater Security Cooperation

Getting the Most Out of Littoral Combat Ships

A Methodology for Estimating the Effect of Aircraft Carrier Operational Cycles on the Maintenance Industrial Base

RAND Supply Chain Policy Center to Research Critical Issues in Freight Transportation

Navy Should Start Next Nuclear Submarine Design Phase Early to Prevent Engineering Brain Drain, RAND Study Finds

Trade-offs in the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program

Sustaining U.S. Nuclear Submarine Design Capabilities

Sustaining the Ability to Design Nuclear Submarines

Sustaining the Ability to Design Nuclear Submarines

The Container Security Initiative and Ocean Container Threats

RAND Study Warns Maritime Terrorism Risk Extends Beyond Dangers Posed to Container Shipping

Maritime Terrorism Risk Extends Beyond Dangers Posed to Container Shipping

New Combat and Noncombat Roles for U.S. Aircraft Carriers

Why Have Navy Ship Costs Risen?

Leveraging America’s Aircraft Carrier Capabilities: Exploring New Combat and Noncombat Roles and Missions for the U.S. Carrier Fleet

Why Has The Cost of Navy Ships Risen? A Macroscopic Examination of the Trends in U.S. Naval Ship Costs Over the Past Several Decades

Securing America's Ports

Acquisition and Competition Strategy Options for the DD(X): The U.S. Navy’s 21st Century Destroyer

The United Kingdom’s Nuclear Submarine Industrial Base, Volume 2: Ministry of Defence Roles and Required Technical Resources

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