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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.

Research Brief

Why Understanding 'Will to Fight' Is Crucial

Sep 13, 2019

Arguably, will to fight is the most important factor in war. The best technology in the world is useless without the force of will to use it and to keep using it even as casualties mount and unexpected calamities arise. Ignoring will to fight can contribute to tactical or even strategic defeat.
Report

Lessons Learned from the Battle for Baghdad

Jun 12, 2019

A review of the U.S. Army's efforts in the Iraq War, especially in Baghdad, offers insights and recommendations that could help leaders avoid the same mistakes in future conflicts. One important lesson is that DoD war plans need to include actions to ensure long-term stability.

Explore Warfare and Military Operations

Report

Human Aspects of Air Force Operations: The Roles of Social, Cultural, and Political Knowledge and Skills in the Full Spectrum of Multidomain Operations

The authors examine whether there is a need for a joint warfighting domain focused on human aspects of military operations and consider how sociocultural knowledge and skills could be better integrated into conventional Air Force operations.

Nov 30, 2020
Commentary

Yemen's Chaos Creates a New Opportunity for the Biden-Harris Team

More than one-quarter million Yemenis have been killed in the nation's civil war. And 150,000 children have died from starvation and left Yemen on the brink of collapse. The foundations of peace must be Yemeni-led, but there is much that the new U.S. administration could do to support the process.

Nov 24, 2020
Blog

Schools and COVID-19, Health Care Resources, Leaving Afghanistan: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on allocating scarce but lifesaving resources during a pandemic, insights from America’s educators, the lopsided telework revolution, and more.

Nov 20, 2020
Testimony

Australia’s Naval Shipbuilding Capability

During the past decade, Australia has used research to understand the cost, benefits, and challenges of national shipbuilding strategies and decisions. What recent developments should Australia's policymakers consider when planning naval ship programs?

Nov 12, 2020
Report

Unlocking NATO's Amphibious Potential: Lessons from the Past, Insights for the Future

Researchers analyze the past, present, and future employment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's amphibious forces, highlight ongoing initiatives, and identify several efforts that should be pursued to advance its amphibious capabilities.

Nov 9, 2020
Journal Article

Lessons from Maritime Narcotics Interdiction: Interdiction in the Maritime Source, Transit, and Arrival Zones of the Western Hemisphere

Sharing information with foreign partners and regional, local, and private actors has been proven to be absolutely critical to success in combating any transnational threat and preventing illegal activities from threatening the homeland and allies.

Nov 5, 2020
Journal Article

South Korea: Capable Now, Questions for the Future

South Korea is a capable US military ally. It faces a substantial military threat from North Korea, especially North Korea's WMD. South Korea's demographics are shrinking its military, challenging South Korea's ability to defend itself in the future.

Nov 3, 2020
Commentary

How to Avoid a Space Arms Race

Some 70 countries and multinational organizations own or operate satellites and there are plans for many more. Multilateral cooperative efforts could help set a foundation for the adoption of transparency and confidence measures that offer realistic hope of reducing risks and protecting freedom of access to space for all nations.

Oct 26, 2020
Multimedia

Using AI to Tackle Disinformation Online

RAND Europe analyst Linda Slapakova talks with RAND senior behavioral scientist William Marcellino about their study on human-machine detection of online-based malign information.

Oct 23, 2020
Journal Article

Social Media and Influence Operations Technologies: Implications for Great Power Competition

Russia, China, and the so-called Islamic State are three key U.S. adversaries that have exploited online technologies for propaganda. This chapter reviews the aims, capabilities, and limitations of online propaganda for each of these entities.

Oct 23, 2020
Journal Article

The Past, Present, and Future of Russia's Cyber Strategy and Forces

This article aims to show that there is more continuity than contrast between Russian cyber perspectives and practice.

Oct 22, 2020
Report

European Contributions to NATO's Future Combat Airpower

European air forces currently have limited capabilities for defending allies in high-intensity conflict. However, Europe's airpower is trending in the right direction, especially with the introduction of fifth-generation aircraft.

Oct 22, 2020
Blog

Russian Propaganda, Domestic Terrorism, America's Electric Grid: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how Americans react to Russian memes on Facebook, the possibility of domestic terrorism during election season, protecting the U.S. electric grid, and more.

Oct 16, 2020
News Release

Facebook Users May Spread Russian Propaganda Less Often When They Are Aware of Its Source

Russian propaganda is hitting its mark on social media—generating strong partisan reactions that may help intensify political divisions—but Facebook users are less apt to press the “like” button on content when they learn that it is part of a foreign propaganda campaign.

Oct 15, 2020
Report

Facebook Users May Spread Russian Propaganda Less Often If They Know Its Source

Russian propaganda is hitting its mark on social media, generating strong partisan reactions that help intensify political divisions. But Facebook users are less apt to press the like button on content when they learn that it is part of a foreign propaganda campaign.

Oct 15, 2020
Blog

Election Interference on Twitter, Insulin Prices, Remote Learning: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on evidence of interference in the 2020 election on Twitter, U.S. insulin prices compared to those of other countries, how parents can help their kids' education stay on track during the pandemic, and more.

Oct 9, 2020
Multimedia

What Role Should Allies and Partners Play in U.S. Military Strategy and Operations?

An overview of testimony by Christine Wormuth presented before the House Armed Services Committee on September 23, 2020.

Oct 9, 2020
Commentary

Grand Strategy Is Total: French Gen. Andre Beaufré on the Nuclear Age

Gen. André Beaufre, the father of contemporary French strategic thought, epitomizes better than anyone the traits that make modern French military theory unusually rich. He is also a key for accessing a rich and distinctly different way of thinking about war with direct applications for today, whether one is pondering Afghanistan or how to deal with China.

Oct 8, 2020
Commentary

Two Vignettes: How Might Combat Operations Be Different Under the Information Joint Function?

RAND researcher Christopher Paul employs storytelling to illustrate two distinct approaches to Joint Combat Operations. While both vignettes result in the expulsion of adversary forces and the restoration of territorial integrity, they take different approaches to kinetic and informational power.

Oct 8, 2020
News Release

Coordinated Efforts on Twitter to Interfere in the U.S. Presidential Election Are Likely Foreign

A coordinated effort on Twitter to influence the upcoming U.S. presidential election—using trolls (fake personas that spread hyper-partisan themes) and super-connectors (highly-networked accounts)—aims to sow distrust, exacerbate political divisions and undermine confidence in American democracy.

Oct 8, 2020

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Warfare and Military Operations

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