Skip to page content

Missile Defense

Featured

Commentary
Japan's Potential Acquisition of Ground-Launched Land-Attack Missiles: Implications for the U.S.-Japanese Alliance
If Japan acquired ground-based strike capabilities, it would have significant consequences for the U.S.-Japanese alliance. American and Japanese policymakers may need to have a new and expanded set of conversations about how such capabilities would be used and how the alliance could adjust to incorporate them.
Sep 9, 2021
Report
Weighing the Cost and Necessity of Nuclear Modernization
The United States has fielded a Triad of air-, sea-, and land-based nuclear delivery systems since the 1950s. Major components are nearing the end of their service lives, raising the question of whether to extend or replace them. Meanwhile, Russia and China continue to modernize, diversify, and expand their nuclear arsenals.
Jan 3, 2022

Explore Missile Defense

Report
Bolstering U.S. Air Bases Against Chinese and Russian Attacks
There's a growing consensus that China and Russia represent major threats to U.S. interests, and there are calls to counter the threats cost-effectively. Air base resilience requires close familiarity with the threat, a systematic approach for addressing it, and sustained efforts to build on investments in protection.
Jan 17, 2023
Tool
Where Has China Sent Weapons and Security Contractors?
China exported weapons to 38 countries from 2018 to 2021. It also exported private security contractors to protect and secure its interests in other countries, such as mining facilities and ports. A map of the exports shows China's expansive influence across Asia and Africa and into Latin America.
Aug 19, 2022
Blog
Extremism and Substance Use Disorder, Criminal Background Checks, Vaccine Diplomacy: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the parallels between extremism and substance use disorder, a better way to measure recidivism risk, global vaccine diplomacy, and more.
Jan 7, 2022
Periodical
RAND Review: January-February 2022
The cover story highlights the risks of geoengineering -- the large-scale manipulation of environmental processes to control climate. The Q&A with Jacqueline Burns sheds light on how her military experience informs her approach to research and analysis.
Jan 4, 2022
Multimedia
Russian S-400 Surface-to-Air Missile System: Is It Worth the Sticker Price?
Indian civilian and military leadership face investment choices that go beyond the decision to buy the S-400. To be effective, the S-400 needs to be deployed within a larger integrated air and missile defense system and requires a very skilled military workforce to operate. Otherwise, it will prove to be a costly and expensive military extravagance.
Jul 13, 2021
Commentary
The Real Tragedy of Israel's Wars in Gaza
Israel's strategy in Gaza of repeatedly cutting back Hamas's military capabilities before it gets strong enough to do Israel any serious harm is known as “mowing the grass.” Unfortunately this approach offers no alternative to continued bloodshed.
Jun 22, 2021
Content
Where Russia Markets and Sells Advanced Conventional Weapons
Russia uses arms exports to further relations with other countries, influence their political and military leaders, and further its broader foreign and defense policy goals. A series of maps show the extent of its marketing, negotiating, and sales of key weapons systems.
Jun 11, 2021
Commentary
Missing in Japan's Deterrence Debate
Following its decision to cancel the Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense system, Japan is currently debating future deterrence capabilities. The debate over how Japan can defend itself is an important one, offering a major opportunity to shape the country's future defense posture.
Aug 13, 2020
Multimedia
Rising Tensions Between the Two Koreas
RAND policy analyst Soo Kim describes how the United States, South Korea, and Japan might respond to North Korea's recent provocations.
Jul 27, 2020
Commentary
Is Japan's Interest in Enemy Base Attack Capabilities a Good Idea?
In the span of a month, Tokyo has rapidly gone from canceling a ballistic missile defense system to considering strike capabilities against foreign adversaries. Is Japan on the precipice of dramatically changing the way it uses its military?
Jul 17, 2020
Commentary
Japan Is Canceling a U.S. Missile Defense System
In June, Japan canceled its planned deployment of two Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense systems. This decision is understandable, but that doesn't negate the problems it could pose for Japanese security and Japan's relationship with the United States.
Jul 6, 2020
Report
Air Base Defense: Rethinking Army and Air Force Roles and Functions
The gap between the growing cruise and ballistic missile threat to U.S. Air Force bases in Europe and the U.S. capacity and capability to counter the threat is worrisome. This report assesses alternative Air Force courses of action.
May 29, 2020
Commentary
Russian S-400 Surface-to-Air Missile System: Is It Worth the Sticker Price?
Many countries do not fully appreciate that effective air defense requires a networked system and not just one missile system component. Getting the true defensive value out of the S-400 surface-to-air system requires additional components that add costs and complexities.
May 6, 2020
Multimedia
The Future of the North Korean Regime
Soo Kim, policy analyst with the RAND Corporation, discusses the future of the North Korean regime.
Apr 28, 2020
Report
The Military Case for Extending New START
The most prudent course of action would be for Washington to extend the U.S.-Russia New START agreement before it expires in February 2021. This would constrain Russia's nuclear forces covered by the treaty for five more years. And it would buy time to pursue multilateral negotiations that also include China.
Feb 14, 2020
Blog
Trump-Kim Summit, Climate Change, Zarif: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the Trump-Kim summit, how cities can prepare for climate change, Mohammad Javad Zarif's resignation, and more.
Mar 1, 2019
Blog
Most Popular RAND Blog Commentary of 2018
RAND experts publish hundreds of pieces of RAND Blog commentary every year, weighing in on pressing policy questions, breaking down current events, and untangling complex trends. To look back on some of the policy stories that defined the year, we've rounded up the RAND Blog pieces that resonated most with rand.org visitors.
Dec 20, 2018
Commentary
Japan's Aegis Ashore Defense System
For nearly 20 years, Japan has used the North Korea threat as a legitimate rationale to build its missile defense system and cooperate closely with the U.S. in its development. This argument remains as true today as it was before the flurry of regional diplomacy began earlier this year.
Aug 20, 2018

1
2
3
4
5
6
Next

RAND Topic:
Missile Defense

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Gary McLeod

Senior Policy Analyst

Gary McLeod is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. He has more than thirty years of experience at RAND analyzing a wide range of issues for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Pacific Command, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, and the Intelligence Community. His…
Cortez A. Cooper III

Senior International/Defense Researcher

Cortez A. Cooper III is a senior international/defense researcher at the RAND Corporation and an affiliate faculty member at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He provides assessments of security challenges across political, military, economic, cultural, and informational arenas for a broad range…

Explore Our People »