David A. Shlapak

RAND conducted two cybersecurity-focused discovery games in Washington, D.C., and California s Silicon Valley that aimed to capture the widest possible range of perspectives. The goals were to explore opportunities for improving cybersecurity, assess the implications of possible solutions, and develop an initial framework to support debate and inform decisions regarding cybersecurity policies and practices."

South Korea faces challenging choices as the great-power rivalry between the United States and China intensifies. In this report, the authors describe their key insights from an analytical policy game they designed featuring two scenarios that explored the policy choices for South Korea to balance its economic, geopolitical, and technological equities regarding its role in the global semiconductor and electric vehicle battery supply chains.

In order to defend itself and its national interests, and to maintain the trust of allies as a reliable security guarantor, the United States must match its national security policies with the resources available to support them. This report discusses the specific gaps between the stated strategic and defense policies of the United States and the resources and capabilities that would be required to implement those policies successfully.

A RAND study analyzed Chinese and U.S. military capabilities in two scenarios (Taiwan and the Spratly Islands) from 1996 to 2017, finding that trends in most, but not all, areas run strongly against the United States. While U.S. aggregate power remains greater than China s, distance and geography affect outcomes. China is capable of challenging U.S. military dominance on its immediate periphery and its reach is likely to grow in the years ahead."

Looking to the 2030 2040 time frame, U.S. policy and military strategy will need to strike a balance among maintaining a cooperative relationship with China, deterring Chinese aggression in regional disputes, and preparing for the possibility that China could become more assertive. The U.S. Army will have an important role to play in preparing for these developments and for protecting and furthering U.S. interests in the region."

: A RAND research team examined options to increase the mobility, protection, and firepower of Army airborne forces, given likely future missions and threats, and identified a concept for enhancing today s forces by adding a light armored infantry capability. This report examines the numbers and types of vehicles that would be needed to create an airborne light armored force that could be airdropped or air-landed from Air Force transport planes."

The relationship between China and Taiwan is more stable in 2009 than it has been years; at the same time, the cross-strait military balance is shifting in ways that are problematic for Taiwan's defense. This volume examines the changing China-Taiwan political dynamic, evaluates key aspects of the cross-strait military balance, and considers how Taiwan might be successfully defended against a Chinese invasion attempt.

Although the question of Taiwan's status may not be resolved soon, considering various outcomes and their possible effects on U.S.-China relations is useful. Ten trajectories for the resolution of Taiwan's status are given, with effects on U.S.-China relations ranging from close cooperation to cold war. As China's military capabilities grow, it will become more difficult but more important to prevent Beijing from trying to use force against Taiwan.

An emerging U.S. grand strategy--the promotion of democracy and freedom abroad--will certainly involve the U.S. armed forces. Although they must change to meet changes in emphasis and demand, they cannot risk their historic strengths. Some areas of interest are the organization and employment of forces, planning for future conflicts, developing information resources, and fostering partnerships among the services and with allies.

One-liner: Examines long-term U.S. military interests in Central Asia 450-character abstract: The republics of Central Asia became more important to United States when U.S. forces were deployed there in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The authors examine U.S. interests in the region, identify three main components of a successful military strategy there; and conclude that the U.S. military should have a relatively minor, but important, role in U.S. policy toward this part of the world.

A set of recommendations for a global access strategy to render the USAF better equipped to meet its access and basing needs and hence to perform its missions both rapidly and effectively. The post-Cold War era has ushered in an unprecedented need for responsiveness on the part of all U.S. services to fast-moving, rapidly evolving contingencies around the globe. Ready access to overseas installations, foreign territory, and foreign airspace has assumed particular importance to the United States Air Force (USAF), the majority of whose aircraft are configured to operate from bases relatively close to their intended targets. Accordingly, this report outlines an approach that the USAF can take to secure such access across a wide range of potential contingencies. The report begins by analyzing the variables that have affected other countries' decisions either to grant or to deny the United States access, and it then discusses the tools that are available to the United States to help ensure such access in the future.Subsequently, the report evaluates the effects that less-than-optimal basing and access might have on future USAF operations and the manner in which such effects might be mitigated. The demands that military operations other than war might impose on the USAF are similarly assessed. Finally, the report offers a set of recommendations that, taken together, constitute the basis for a global access strategy aimed at rendering the USAF better equipped to meet its access and basing needs - and hence to perform its missions both rapidly and effectively - in the future. [AF] The post-Cold War era has ushered in an unprecedented need for U.S. services' responsiveness to fast-moving, rapidly evolving contingencies around the globe. Ready access to overseas installations and foreign territory and airspace has assumed particular importance to the United States Air Force (USAF). Accordingly, this report outlines an approach that the USAF can take to secure such access across a wide range of potential contingencies.

Among the hottest flashpoints in the world today, U.S. policymakers and diplomats cannot ignore the Taiwan Strait. China regularly rattles its saber to intimidate Taiwan and influence U.S. policy but has thus far stopped short of overt military action. This report analyzes the steps Taiwan should take to bolster the odds in its favor should a conflict with the mainland occur and describes how the United States can most effectively contribute in both peace and crisis. The authors conclude that the United States and Taiwan can take a number of fairly simple and relatively inexpensive measures - including hardening air bases and other facilities and upgrading the air defense command and control system - that would significantly enhance Taiwan's ability to defend itself against a large-scale Chinese attack.