Transportation Technology

Commentary

May 21, 2024

An extra large unmanned undersea test vehicle, photo courtesy of GAO/ Navy Program Office

Navies Look to Uncrewed Systems to Counter Threats Beneath the Waves

Uncrewed, combat-capable vehicles are transforming warfare in the air and on the ocean surface. They could do the same for underwater combat in the near future.

Commentary

Apr 4, 2024

NATO military personnel test an unmanned surface vehicle during exercise Baltic Operations 2023 in the Baltic Sea, June 23, 2023, photo by Jan Eenling/U.S. Navy

What Chinese Navy Planners Are Learning from Ukraine's Use of Unmanned Surface Vessels

The continued success of Ukrainian unmanned surface vessel (USV) attacks on Russian naval facilities and warships has kept USVs in the defense analytical spotlight and naval analysts around the world, particularly those in China, are taking note.

Q&A

Mar 13, 2024

David Ochmanek at the West Coast Aerospace Forum, December 2019, photo by Diane Baldwin/RAND

A New Approach for the U.S. Armed Forces: Q&A with David Ochmanek

The United States and its allies have a window of opportunity to bolster their security and prepare for the global challenges to come. But it's closing fast as China and other adversaries build up their own militaries. Business as usual is no longer sufficient.

Commentary

Feb 5, 2024

A self driving car, often referred to as a robotaxi, at the Embarcedero in San Francisco, California, August 17, 2023, photo by Gado Images/Reuters

Reining in the Risks of Robotaxis

Robotaxis are a complex tangle of technology and services with multiple stakeholders, so regulation is messy. There is, however, a process that has been designed to deal with such messy situations. It's called decisionmaking under deep uncertainty.

Commentary

Nov 30, 2023

The large unmanned surface vessel <em>Nomad</em> transits the Pacific Ocean to participate in Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, June 22, 2022, photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler R. Fraser/U.S. Navy

Creating the Uncrewed-Centric Navy of the Mid-21st Century

The emergence of uncrewed technologies can enable the Navy to achieve greater capacity and operate in harm's way by avoiding over-concentration of combat power in too few assets.

Commentary

Jun 22, 2023

A Navy Research Laboratory unmanned surface vehicle near Panama Beach, Florida, November 9, 2020, photo by U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

Revive the Ram

In the face of aggressive maneuvers by Chinese vessels, the U.S. Navy can brandish ramming unmanned surface vessels as a capability to inhibit threats while limiting the risk of escalation. These relatively simple, inexpensive vehicles could be used alongside a variety of nonlethal weapons to manage confrontations, giving commanders more options.

Commentary

May 10, 2023

Numerous square concrete blocks are stacked on top of each other underwater to create an artificial reef, photo by Placebo365/Getty Images

Waiting to Impale: Defending Taiwan with Artificial Reefs

Deterring a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is arguably the most important defense problem of the next few decades. Artificial reefs could help to deter China simply by waiting to impale any potential invasion force.

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Transportation Technology

Transportation Technology

When Can Automated Vehicles Be Considered Safe Enough?

Opportunities for the Brazilian Navy to Employ Additional Unmanned Systems

Explore RAND’s Work on this Topic

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Amping Airpower—Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing for the U.S. Air Force: Military Utility, Market Dynamics, and Warfighter Adoption

Navies Look to Uncrewed Systems to Counter Threats Beneath the Waves

Understanding How to Scale and Accelerate the Adoption of Robotic and Autonomous Systems Into Deployable Capability: Phase 1—identifying Barriers

What Chinese Navy Planners Are Learning from Ukraine's Use of Unmanned Surface Vessels

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Creating the Uncrewed-Centric Navy of the Mid-21st Century

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Legal, Ethical, and Equity Issues of Artificial Intelligence and Other Technology

Revive the Ram

Rethink Mine Countermeasures

Waiting to Impale: Defending Taiwan with Artificial Reefs

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