Heather Peterson

The report tested the assertion that U.S. security cooperation (SC) can help reduce fragility in partner states. Based on an analysis of SC data and state fragility scores for 107 countries in 1991 2008, the study found a correlation between provision of SC by the United States and a reduction in partner state fragility, though the presence and degree of correlation depended on partner country characteristics and the type of SC provided."

Strategic imperatives sometimes compel the United States to work with partner nations that lack the characteristics that favor success in building partner capacity. This report explores what the United States can do in such contexts to maximize prospects for success by specifically looking at potential challenges and workarounds and deriving recommendations for future engagements.

This report discusses the challenges associated with potential confrontations between the United States and hostile states with small nuclear arsenals. It examines prospects for neutralizing their nuclear capabilities via combinations of offensive and defensive options at varying levels of opponent nuclear development and managing escalation risks in conventional wars with them across a range of scenarios.

The Department of Defense conducts an assortment of building partner capacity (BPC) efforts. The needs and existing capabilities of various nations differ, however, as will results. Planning for each BPC effort carefully, assessing progress while the effort is in progress, and assessing results are all important to ensure that it meets U.S. goals and partner expectations. This report presents a framework intended to aid all these steps.

Recent RAND research identified practices and contextual factors associated with greater or lesser degrees of success in security cooperation. A related diagnostic tool maximizes the utility of these analyses and can help defense planners identify potential mismatches between security cooperation funding, priorities, and propensity for success with a given country.

The U.S. Department of Defense has placed a renewed emphasis on planning for security cooperation with foreign militaries, but it is still in the early stages of developing comprehensive guidance on how to conduct this type of planning. This report presents best practices for U.S. Air Force planners on how to develop, resource, execute, and assess country plans while the official guidance is in development.