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United States Air Force

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RAND has performed analyses for the U.S. Air Force (USAF) since it became an independent nonprofit organization in 1948. Today, RAND Project AIR FORCE conducts research on such topics as ways USAF can attract future leaders, how it can best acquire new equipment, and how it can best organize its active and reserve units.

Report

Analysis of Global Management of Air Force War Reserve Materiel to Support Operations in Contested and Degraded Environments

Jan 14, 2021

The Air Force's current system of war reserve materiel management is positioned more for efficiency than effectiveness. What do case studies reveal about the trade-offs and best practices for a centralized versus decentralized management approach?
Report

Can Artificial Intelligence Help Improve Air Force Talent Management?

Jan 19, 2021

An AI-enabled performance-scoring system could enable the U.S. Air Force to leverage existing data for improved human resource management policies and practices. How could this help senior leaders take full advantage of performance records when making talent management decisions?

Explore United States Air Force

Report

Reducing Rework in Officer Appointment Processes

Appointment scrolls are required for officers to enter the services and to take on service in a different grade, military service, or component. This report contains recommendations for increasing the efficiency of the scroll creation process.

Apr 19, 2021
Report

Tailoring Medical Standards for Air Force Personnel

To serve in the U.S. military, individuals must meet medical standards to ensure that they are fit to serve. The authors explore the implications to U.S. Air Force culture of tailoring such standards to expand or limit the pool of qualified personnel.

Apr 8, 2021
Report

A Review of the Air Force Fitness Assessment

This report presents an overview of research relevant to U.S. Air Force fitness assessment components to ensure readiness of personnel, support the National Defense Strategy, and promote a culture of health and well-being across the U.S. Air Force.

Apr 6, 2021
Report

Increasing Aircrew Flight Equipment Personnel Proficiency: Insights from Members of the Career Field

The Air Force Aircrew Flight Equipment (AFE) specialty plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of airmen. The authors investigate causes for the decline in AFE proficiency and develop courses of action to mitigate the issue.

Mar 17, 2021
Report

Command and Control of U.S. Air Force Combat Support in a High-End Fight

This report describes new concepts for U.S. Air Force combat support command and control while under persistent multi-domain attack during a high-end fight, specifically to support maneuver and functioning in a communications degraded environment.

Mar 16, 2021
Report

Winning the Battle of the Airfields: Seventy Years of RAND Analysis on Air Base Defense and Attack

This report provides an overview of RAND's work on air base defense and attack from 1951 through 2020, describes RAND's contributions, and identifies enduring insights for improving the resiliency of U.S. air bases in the face of modern threats.

Feb 24, 2021
Multimedia

West Coast Aerospace Forum 2020: Aerospace Vision for the Future

The 6th annual West Coast Aerospace Forum in December 2020 featured discussions between some of the Department of the Air Force‘s most senior and experienced leaders and top civilian national security experts.

Feb 19, 2021
Report

Department of the Air Force Civilian Compensation and Benefits: How Five Mission Critical and Hard-to-Fill Occupations Compare to the Private Sector and Key Federal Agencies

The authors examine U.S. Air Force civilian compensation for hard-to-fill and mission critical occupations, comparing it with other federal agencies and the private sector and providing recommendations for recruiting and retaining civilian talent.

Feb 10, 2021
Report

Fighter Basing Options to Improve Access to Advanced Training Ranges

The authors explore U.S. Air Force squadron restationing and range upgrade options that can maximize access to advanced live training ranges while evaluating cost and risk measures associated with these options.

Feb 5, 2021
Report

Managing Risk in Globalized Supply Chains

This report addresses the challenges the U.S. Air Force faces in mitigating the risks associated with an increasingly globalized weapon supply chain and suggests ways to improve how it addresses such risks.

Feb 5, 2021
Report

Technology Innovation and the Future of Air Force Intelligence Analysis: Findings and Recommendations

Getting the right intelligence to the right people at the right time is increasingly difficult as the amount of data grows and timelines shrink. How can tools and technologies help the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System evolve to meet the challenges of synthesizing data effectively and efficiently?

Jan 27, 2021
Report

Technology Innovation and the Future of Air Force Intelligence Analysis: Technical Analysis

What are the near-term fixes to existing intelligence challenges? And where could artificial intelligence and machine learning be integrated in the future? An in-depth analysis explores technologies that could help the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System become more effective, efficient, and agile.

Jan 27, 2021
Report

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Special and Incentive Pays for Career Enlisted Aviators

The authors develop a capability to calculate the efficient amount of special and incentive pays for Air Force career enlisted aviators (CEAs). They also estimate the trade-offs between retaining CEAs and increasing accessions for a given force size.

Jan 7, 2021
Report

Developing Operationally Relevant Metrics for Measuring and Tracking Readiness in the U.S. Air Force

The authors developed a new approach to leverage and aggregate authoritative data sources that feed the current readiness reporting system to better measure the ability of Air Combat Command forces to meet scenario demands.

Dec 21, 2020
Report

Proposed Analytical Products for the Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability: Developing and Presenting Options for Future Force Design and Capability Development

RAND Project Air Force assisted the Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability (AFWIC) in conceptualizing analytical and other products to support concept development, options for future force design, and capability development planning.

Dec 16, 2020
Tool

Getting To Outcomes® Operations Guide for U.S. Air Force Community Action Teams: Content Area Module for Air Force Suicide Prevention

This content area module for Air Force suicide prevention is a companion volume to the Getting To Outcomes Operations Guide for U.S. Air Force Community Action Teams. It includes guidance, resources, and examples of completed tools.

Dec 14, 2020
Tool

Getting To Outcomes® Operations Guide for U.S. Air Force Community Action Teams: Content Area Module for Air Force Sexual Harassment Prevention

This content area module for Air Force sexual harassment prevention is a companion volume to the Getting To Outcomes Operations Guide for U.S. Air Force Community Action Teams. It includes guidance, resources, and examples of completed tools.

Dec 14, 2020
Report

Human Aspects of Air Force Operations

The special operations community has focused on leveraging human-focused capabilities, but the conventional Air Force has yet to fully embrace human aspects of military operations. Is there a need for a joint warfighting domain focused on human aspects of military operations?

Nov 30, 2020

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RAND Topic:
United States Air Force

Topic Synonyms:
U.S. Air Force;
U.S.A.F.

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