As the war in Ukraine passes the 500-day mark, hopes are fading that the refugee crisis set off by Russia’s brutal invasion will be over any time soon. Already, 6.3 million Ukrainians have been recorded as refugees since February 2022; most have gone westward to Poland, Germany, and other European Union countries. All told, around… Continue reading The EU Can’t Treat Ukrainian Refugees Like Short-Term Visitors
Category: Intel
Making Every Defense Dollar Count in Taiwan
The surging security relationship between the United States and Taiwan is exposing some long-simmering differences, with questions about Taiwan’s defense investments atop Washington’s list of concerns. Washington and Taipei agree on the goal of protecting Taiwan’s security, and they are forging the most comprehensive ties in decades. Taiwan faces an existential threat, but Taiwan is… Continue reading Making Every Defense Dollar Count in Taiwan
Why the United States Still Needs Ground Forces in Europe
Russia has faced several setbacks since its February 2022 attack on Ukraine: an estimated hundred thousand military casualties, including to some of its best units; the recent mutiny by Prighozin’s Wagner troops; and the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive, which is slowly gaining ground. With these losses, the threat of a Russian attack against the NATO alliance… Continue reading Why the United States Still Needs Ground Forces in Europe
UFOs Are Not the Only Potential Threat in American Skies
On Thursday, the House Oversight Committee will hold a public hearing about national security implications of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). It comes on the heels of public inquiries in 2022 by Congress, the Department of Defense, NASA, and the intelligence community (PDF) into what were once called UFOs. If extraterrestrials are visiting our planet, the… Continue reading UFOs Are Not the Only Potential Threat in American Skies
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Neurodiversity, Russia’s ‘Forever War’: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss public reports of unidentified aerial phenomena; the effects of a potential change in U.S. policy toward Taiwan; how neurodiversity can help national security organizations; treatment for people facing opioid use disorder and mental illness; Ukraine’s path to victory; and pain care for U.S. service members. Photo by Stringer/Reuters The federal government… Continue reading Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Neurodiversity, Russia’s ‘Forever War’: RAND Weekly Recap
Service Members and Their Families Are Paying for the Air Force’s Fiscal Shortfalls
Recently, the U.S. Air Force announced that it is experiencing a shortfall in Fiscal Year 23 military personnel appropriation funding driven by higher-than-projected personnel costs. To address this insolvency, the Department of the Air Force directed actions to avoid exhausting funds. These actions included pausing permanent change of station (PCS) moves, delaying issuance of retirement… Continue reading Service Members and Their Families Are Paying for the Air Force’s Fiscal Shortfalls
It Should Not Have Been a Surprise: The Threat from Putin’s Russia
The recent NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, left the world asking a hard question: “Are we in a new Cold War with Russia?” Our answer is to a different, and harder, and more important question: Is Russia already at war with the West? Vladimir V. Putin has been in perpetual war with the West—defined by… Continue reading It Should Not Have Been a Surprise: The Threat from Putin’s Russia
Truth Decay and National Security
The line between fact and opinion in public discourse has been eroding, and with it the public’s ability to have arguments and find common ground based in fact. We at RAND call this diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life “Truth Decay.” Everyone can feel how it affects their day-to-day lives—the family… Continue reading Truth Decay and National Security
Ukrainian Refugees, U.S. and Allied Defense Strategy, Threats from AI: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss why European host countries shouldn’t treat Ukrainian refugees like short-term visitors; how to reverse the erosion of U.S. and allied power and influence; Washington’s concerns over Taiwan’s defense spending; addressing the mental health crisis in U.S. jails; tackling existential threats from artificial intelligence; and how the conflict in Sudan is creating… Continue reading Ukrainian Refugees, U.S. and Allied Defense Strategy, Threats from AI: RAND Weekly Recap
Book Review: ‘Delete the Adjective: A Soldier’s Adventures in Ranger School’ by Lisa Jaster
In 2013, then–Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta initiated the process to formally open all military jobs and units to women. Two years later, 19 women were among the 399 candidates who began the first-ever integrated U.S. Army Ranger School class. Delete the Adjective: A… Continue reading Book Review: ‘Delete the Adjective: A Soldier’s Adventures in Ranger School’ by Lisa Jaster