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Report
Exploring the Civil-Military Divide over Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is anticipated to be a key capability for enabling the U.S. military to maintain its dominance. How do software engineers and other technical staff in the industry view the defense community? Are they willing to contribute to AI-related projects for military use?
May 11, 2022
Report
Improving Defense Acquisition
Informed by 35 years of RAND research on defense acquisition, a new analysis describes overarching trends that affect DoD's acquisition system, outlines challenges in the acquisition process, and suggests improvements that might help address those challenges.
Jun 16, 2022

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Visualization
Logic Model for Non-Lethal Weapons in the U.S. Department of Defense
This logic model is intended to help characterize the impact of Non-Lethal Weapons (NLWs) within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and is based on a RAND project that assessed the impact of diverse Intermediate Force Capabilities (IFCs).
Nov 20, 2023
Report
Valuing Army Installation Resilience Investments for Natural Hazards: Exploring the Use of Insurance Methods and Historical Installation Storm Damage
In this report, the authors assess Army installation risks from natural hazards and Army resilience investment processes and recommend ways the Army can reduce associated costs based on an analysis of insurance industry methods and historical installation storm damage.
Nov 6, 2023
Report
Vetting National Security Personnel: What Contributes to Bias and Inequity?
Applicants for the national security workforce must provide detailed personal information—such as race or ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and neurodivergence—in order to gain a security clearance. What potential bias or inequities exist within this vetting process?
Oct 31, 2023
Multimedia
Keeping Up with the Joneses: How Can DoD Address Its Technical Talent Shortage?
The U.S. Department of Defense recognizes that it is struggling to recruit and retain the technical talent it needs. An October 2023 panel discussion examined the factors behind the department’s current shortage of technical talent.
Oct 30, 2023
Report
South Korea Needs Greater Nuclear Assurance
With growing nuclear threats from North Korea and China, there has been considerable interest in South Korea in developing its own nuclear weapons. But doing so could become a major disaster. The United States should bring greater strategic clarity to its nuclear umbrella commitment to South Korea.
Oct 29, 2023
Report
Incorporating Environmental Considerations into Defense Acquisition Practices
RAND researchers assess the knowledge, tools, and capabilities needed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition workforce to infuse environmental considerations into DoD requirements, acquisition, and resource allocation decisionmaking.
Oct 19, 2023
Report
Examples of Why Gender Diversity Matters in Military Missions
Studies suggest that peace and security efforts are more likely to succeed when women play a role in them. Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) is the recognition of women's impact on peace and security decisionmaking, and the disproportionate impact that conflict has on women. WPS principles and gender perspectives have been applied in DoD mission areas.
Oct 18, 2023
Commentary
Bridging Tech and Humanity: The Role of Foundation Models in Reducing Civilian Harm
Foundation models can recognize patterns and make predictions like human brains; however, they lack the subjective experiences, contextual reasoning, creativity, and embodied grounding that characterize human intelligence and cognition. While foundation models hold massive potential to limit civilian harm, they must be used to supplement—not replace—human analysts.
Oct 17, 2023
Commentary
Encouraging Consistency in National Security Transparency
The United States remains the leader in space in both national security and commercial capabilities. Greater transparency about existing on-orbit systems that are already detected by many is an important next step that could bolster U.S. credibility while also aiding deterrence.
Oct 16, 2023
Journal Article
The Race for U.S. Technical Talent: Can the DOD and DIB Compete?
This policy brief uses LinkedIn data to track the movement of tech workers between industries and metro areas, with a particular focus on the U.S. Department of Defense, the defense industrial base, and the so-called “Big Tech” companies.
Oct 6, 2023
Report
Creating Selective Overmatch: An Approach to Developing Cyberspace Options to Sustain U.S. Primacy Against Revisionist Powers
The authors apply the concept of selective overmatch to reevaluate current U.S. cyber operations in light of competition and possible conflict with China and show how this framework can provide a roadmap for U.S. Cyber Command’s future operations.
Sep 7, 2023
Brochure
Saving the Government Money: Examples from RAND's FFRDCs
RAND's defense-related federally funded research and development centers apply research capital they have developed over the years to help decisionmakers solve problems and often save money as well. This publication lists and briefly summarizes some RAND projects undertaken over the past several years that have helped save the government money or that have identified ways to do so.
Aug 25, 2023
Research Brief
Military Academy Students Can Now Retain Parental Rights: Department of Defense Options for Managing the Change
As of 2023, DoD allows enrolled cadets and midshipmen to retain parental rights. This brief explores potential DoD policy changes that could help cadet and midshipman parents care for their children, succeed in school, and become exemplary officers.
Aug 22, 2023
Report
Ensuring Parental Rights of Military Service Academy Cadets and Midshipmen: Policy and Cost Implications
This report characterizes legal, policy, practice, and cost implications of U.S. Department of Defense options to comply with a new congressional requirement allowing service academy cadets and midshipmen who become parents to retain parental rights.
Aug 22, 2023
Commentary
Defense Budgeting and the Dilemma of Lost Time
Since 2011, Congress has routinely struggled to pass a budget on time. Instead, Congress leverages continuing resolutions to fund the government and prevent shutdowns. This flawed process that relies on temporary fixes is hampering Pentagon planning and could pose long-term risks to U.S. military readiness and competitiveness.
Aug 16, 2023
Commentary
Why DoD Needs Greater Focus on Nonlethal Weapons, Intermediate Force Capabilities
Nonlethal weapons do not entail the firing of projectiles, the detonation of explosives, or even the use of edged weapons with blades. Their effects are more subtle, though no less powerful for that. But the effects of these systems, and their impact on overall military capabilities, are often underestimated or misunderstood.
Aug 8, 2023
Multimedia
The Pentagon's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer: One Year In
Margie Palmieri of the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) joins Jim Mitre, director of RAND's International Security and Defense Policy Program, to discuss the formation of the CDAO and the first year of the new organization.
Jul 27, 2023
Report
An Assessment of Two-Year Probationary Period Usage Within the Defense Civilian Workforce: A Report Prepared for the U.S. Department of Defense in Compliance with Section 1102 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act
This report summarizes the results of a congressionally mandated independent review of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)'s use of the two-year probationary period for new appointments to the Senior Executive Service and competitive service.
Jul 19, 2023
Report
Department of Defense Considerations for Leveraging Commercially Developed Emerging Technologies: Preliminary Insights from Advanced Air Mobility
This report provides preliminary insights from a project to assess advanced air mobility (AAM) developments, the potential for AAM to support military missions, and the implications of AAM commercial markets for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
Jul 18, 2023
Report
Educating and Training the Department of Defense Workforce for Global Health Engagement to Support the Geographic Combatant Commands
The authors (1) analyze the elements of global health engagement (GHE) education and training (E&T), (2) develop and evaluate options for improving GHE E&T, and (3) present an integrated and sequenced set of E&T recommendations for the GHE community.
Jul 11, 2023

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RAND Topic:
United States Department of Defense

Topic Synonyms:
Department of Defense

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Brodi Kotila

Senior Political Scientist

Brodi Kotila is a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, and is also a lawyer. She supports the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security on a wide range of matters including national security strategy and policy development and implementation, planning, legal, regulatory, and…
Lisa Saum-Manning

Associate Director, International Security and Defense Policy Program

Lisa Saum-Manning is an associate director of the International Security and Defense Policy Program, part of the RAND National Security Research Division. She recently served as a Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for the Conflict and Stabilization Office. Her research focuses…

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