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Warfare and Military Operations

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RAND researchers examine military and national security issues across a broad spectrum — from political dissent and military training to tactical operations and reconstruction efforts — and take a long-term, global perspective. Terrorism, types of warfare, and international intervention are among the many topics RAND explores.

Report

Exploring the Course and Consequences of a Sino-U.S. War

Jul 28, 2016

Premeditated war between the United States and China is very unlikely. But the danger that a mishandled crisis could trigger hostilities cannot be ignored. A new analysis illuminates various paths a war could take and their possible effects.
Commercial Book

Guide to Understanding Insurgency Warfare

Nov 1, 2016

An exploration of the history and dynamics of 181 insurgencies since 1946 provides lessons for those fighting insurgent campaigns today in such countries as Syria, Libya, and Iraq.

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Commentary

The U.S. Military's Border Enforcement Role

The Trump administration announced a deployment of at least 5,200 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Is a military response of this size needed to address the situation on the southern border?

Nov 19, 2018
Blog

Reflecting on the Past to Counter Future Terrorism

One Night with RAND brought together leaders in business, government, academia, and philanthropy to pay tribute to Brian Michael Jenkins and mark his 50-year affiliation with RAND and his substantial body of research on terrorism. Jenkins and other experts discussed the evolution of terrorism and strategies for countering it in the future.

Nov 14, 2018
Commentary

What Does America's Political Polarization Mean for Competition with China?

Political polarization in the United States potentially carries significant implications for America's strategic competition with China. Leaders in Washington will need to work to mitigate the effects of polarization and manage competition with China in a stable, effective manner.

Nov 9, 2018
Report

Report

Improving C2 and Situational Awareness for Operations in and Through the Information Environment

Every military activity has informational aspects, but the information environment (IE) is not well integrated into military planning, doctrine, or processes. Better understanding of the IE will improve command and control and situational awareness.

Nov 1, 2018
Report

Strategies to Counter Russian Social Media Influence

The Russian government's disinformation campaigns have found a comfortable home on social media. No single approach to countering their influence is likely to produce a conclusive victory over the threat. Therefore, it would be prudent to adopt approaches that target multiple links in the disinformation chain.

Nov 1, 2018
Research Brief

Research Brief

Requirements for Better C2 and Situational Awareness of the Information Environment

Every military activity has informational aspects, but the information environment (IE) is not well integrated into military planning, doctrine, or processes. Better understanding of the IE will improve command and control and situational awareness.

Nov 1, 2018
Commentary

In Refugee Vetting, How Good Is Good Enough?

A security policy that depends too heavily on vetting, and expects it to be foolproof, is likely to fall short. A better security standard the administration could consider is not whether vetting failures ever occur, but rather whether they pose an acceptable risk to the United States.

Nov 1, 2018
Report

Report

Evaluating interventions that prevent or counter violent extremism: A practical guide

This document provides an overview of data collection methods and evaluation designs suitable for evaluating interventions and programmes designed to prevent and counter violent extremism and radicalisation.

Oct 30, 2018
Commentary

Cameroon's Days as Reliable U.S. Partner May Be Numbered

The Cameroonian government is becoming more authoritarian under President Paul Biya. His re-election could be bad news for Cameroon and the region, but also for the United States.

Oct 26, 2018
Report

Report

Counterterrorism evaluation: Taking stock and looking ahead

This report presents the results of a study investigating how evaluations of counterterrorism and preventing and countering violent extremism policies were designed and conducted over the last five years and what practical lessons can be drawn.

Oct 24, 2018
Report

Report

Pacific Engagement: Forging Tighter Connections Between Tactical Security Cooperation Activities and U.S. Strategic Goals in the Asia-Pacific Region

This report examines U.S. Army security cooperation (SC) processes in the Pacific Command area of responsibility to forge stronger links between strategic and tactical levels in the planning and execution of SC activities.

Oct 23, 2018
Report

Report

The Language of Inform, Influence, and Persuade: Assessment Lexicon and Usage Guide for U.S. European Command Efforts

Inconsistency in how assessment is discussed can lead to confusion, miscommunication, and the appearance of agreement or disagreement when the opposite is true. RAND researchers developed this lexicon and usage guide to help combat this problem.

Oct 18, 2018
Commentary

America's Indefinite Endgame in Syria

The Trump administration's position on the Syrian civil war has shifted from countering ISIS to containing Iran. America will remain in Syria as long as Iran does. But an unending timetable for the withdrawal of troops is far more problematic for Washington than it is for Tehran.

Oct 16, 2018
Commentary

Partner Capacity-Building's Next Phase—Embracing Civil Works?

The way ahead for civil works capacity-building is not without its challenges. But in places that are plagued by extremist violence and irregular warfare, fostering civil society's trust and confidence isn't just an added benefit. It could instead be a targeted outcome.

Oct 16, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Evaluation in an Emerging Field: Developing a Measurement Framework for the Field of Counter-Violent-Extremism

This report seeks lessons from the evidence-based healthcare movement, which has a track record of using evaluation to develop practice, to consider what it might take to develop evaluation capacity in the emerging field of counter-violent-extremism.

Oct 12, 2018
Commentary

North Korean Actions Speak Louder Than Its Words

Kim Jong Un has regularly promised to denuclearize, but he's been all talk. And this year, North Korea has probably built five to nine more nuclear weapons. There are steps that could make a difference if taken before the North Korean nuclear weapon threat grows any further.

Oct 11, 2018
Commentary

Are We Truly Prepared for a War with Russia or China?

The U.S. Department of Defense will likely need a strategy to overcome a war with either Russia or China. As threats from Moscow and Beijing grow, what can the United States do now to prepare for major conflict?

Oct 9, 2018
Commentary

The Power of Affiliates: Which ISIS Franchise Could Become the Most Capable?

With ISIS's caliphate in ruins, one of its affiliates could grow to become even deadlier and more capable than the core organization was during its peak. And with franchise groups and affiliates across the globe, there's no shortage of contenders to supplant ISIS as the world's most dangerous terrorist group.

Oct 9, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

Adaptation by Intelligent Adversaries to Defensive Measures: Framing Adaptation Options and Demonstrating Assessment of Attacker Preferences Using Proxy Intelligence Data

Addressing adaptation by adversaries and its implications for security planning requires understanding the ways attackers can respond to new defensive measures. This paper demonstrates an analysis of such preferences using open source data.

Oct 2, 2018
Commentary

Achieving the Trump Administration's National Biodefense Strategy

The Trump administration recently published its National Biodefense Strategy, which says that managing the risk of biological threats is in the “vital interest” of the United States, however they might present. The document provides a solid foundation, but more may be required to fully realize its goals and objectives.

Oct 2, 2018

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Warfare and Military Operations

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