Chad J. R. Ohlandt

Senior Engineer

Washington Office

Education

Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and scientific computing, University of Michigan; M.S. in aerospace engineering, Pennsylvania State University; S.B. in astronautical engineering, M.I.T.

One Page Bio

Overview

Chad Ohlandt (he/his) is a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation, focusing on defense acquisition, technology policy, and Indo-Pacific issues. His work revolves around the development of requirements and acquisition of advanced aerospace systems to meet civilian, commercial, and national security needs. He also studies foreign aerospace industrial policy and programs including competition, cooperation, and global supply chains with an emphasis on Asia and China.

Ohlandt has served as a senior acquisition analyst in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, & Logistics) providing analysis on the performance of the defense acquisition system from 2011-2013. He worked in Beijing at the Chinese Academy of Sciences with the NSF East Asia Summer Institute in the summer of 2004 and was a Fulbright scholar in Taiwan in 1999-2000. He has expertise in computational fluid dynamics, supercomputing, plasma physics, nuclear fusion, hypersonics, and space propulsion.

He has a B.S. in astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a M.S. aerospace engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and scientific computing from the University of Michigan.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Organization and management of cost analysis community
China’s aerospace industry and technical capacity
Acquisition management of missile defense systems
Aeronautics flight test infrastructure and wind tunnels

Selected Publications

Ohlandt, Chad J. R., Lyle J. Morris, Julia A. Thompson, Arthur Chan, and Andrew Scobell, Chinese Investment in U.S. Aviation, RAND Corporation (RR-1755), 2017

Osburg, Jan, Philip S. Anton, Frank Camm, Jeremy M. Eckhause, Jaime L. Hastings, Jakub P. Hlavka, James G. Kallimani, Thomas Light, Chad J. R. Ohlandt, Douglas Shontz, Abbie Tingstad, and Jia Xu, Expanding Flight Research: Capabilities, Needs, and Management Options for NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, RAND Corporation (RR-1361), 2016

Chad J. R. Ohlandt, "Competition and Collaboration in Space between the U.S., China, and Australia: Woomera to WGS and the Impact of Changing U.S. National Space Security Policy," Asian Survey, 54(2), 2014

Chad J. R. Ohlandt, "Dispelling the Myths of DoD’s Affordability Policy," Defense AT&L Magazine, 42(5), 2013

Anton, Philip S., Liisa Ecola, James G. Kallimani, Thomas Light, Chad J. R. Ohlandt, Jan Osburg, Raj Raman, and Clifford A. Grammich, Advancing Aeronautics: A Decision Framework for Selecting Research Agendas, RAND Corporation (MG-997), 2011

Cliff, Roger, Chad J. R. Ohlandt, and David Yang, Ready for Takeoff: China's Advancing Aerospace Industry, RAND Corporation (MG-1100), 2011

Commentary

Space Science and Technology

Navigating Norms for the New Space Era
To make better progress on global norms for responsible behavior in space, the U.S. defense and intelligence communities might first consider reaching a consensus among themselves on what these norms should be. Until they reconcile their differences the United States will be less likely be in a position to play a leadership role.
Feb 8, 2021
The National Interest
China

Should Boeing Fear the PRC's Aerospace Industry? Not in This Decade but Maybe Later
The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China will probably begin producing its first large commercial aircraft later this decade. But the C919 is unlikely to be technologically or commercially competitive when it arrives, writes Chad J. R. Ohlandt.
May 14, 2012
Zócalo Public Square

Publications

Testimony
U.S.-China Aviation Competition: Military, Commercial, and General Aviation are Different
Testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on April 13, 2023.
Apr 13, 2023
Multimedia
The Future of Space Cooperation Between the U.S. and Japan
Over two days in March 2022, experts from the United States and Japan presented their vision for the future of space science and exploration, cooperation between the U.S. and Japan, and the future space economy.
Dec 7, 2022
Report
Modeling and Measuring the Effects of Economic Shocks on a Defense Industrial Base
The purpose of this report is to assist Department of Defense decisionmakers called upon to respond to adverse economic shocks by identifying opportunities for improving analysis of shocks and their effects on U.S. defense postures.
Oct 18, 2022
Report
Relative Contractor Risks: A Data-Analytic Approach to Early Identification
The authors prototyped a new way to apply data analysis on a variety of government and commercial data sources to assess the relative contractor performance risks in Air Force acquisition contracts and programs.
Feb 4, 2022
Report
Is the Defense Acquisition System Postured to Solve National Defense Strategy Operational Problems?
The authors propose assessing the defense acquisition system's ability to overcome the operational problems outlined in the 2018 National Defense Strategy, discuss why the approach is valuable, and suggest next steps.
Sep 20, 2021
Report
China's Grand Strategy: Trends, Trajectories, and Long-Term Competition
To explore what extended competition between the United States and China might entail out to 2050, the authors of this report assessed how successful China might be at implementing its grand strategy goals over the next three decades.
Jul 24, 2020
Report
Chinese Investment in U.S. Aviation
This report assesses Chinese investment in U.S. aviation from 2005 to 2016. It provides context in China's demand for aviation products and aviation industrial policies, while assessing technology transfers and impact on U.S. competitiveness.
Apr 10, 2017
Report
Expanding Flight Research: Capabilities, Needs, and Management Options for NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate asked RAND to assess flight research capabilities and needs, and to identify management options that would facilitate increased and improved flight research.
Jun 27, 2016
Testimony
Implications of China's Aerospace Industrial Policies
Testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on April 27, 2016.
Apr 27, 2016
Report
Project AIR FORCE Modeling Capabilities for Support of Combat Operations in Denied Environments
Documents the modeling framework Project AIR FORCE developed to evaluate combat support requirements, basing posture vulnerabilities, operational resilience, and potential mitigation strategies to support combat operations in a denied environment.
Jul 7, 2015
Multimedia
U.S.–Japan Alliance Conference Series Proceedings
In a series of conferences, U.S. and Japanese experts explored the challenges for the U.S.-Japan alliance associated with China's military modernization drive and increasing foreign policy assertiveness.
Jan 21, 2015
Report
The Future of the U.S. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Force
Assesses alternatives for a next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) across a broad set of potential characteristics and situations and weighs them against the costs of those alternatives.
Feb 4, 2014
Journal Article
Competition and Collaboration in Space Between the U.S., China, and Australia: Woomera to WGS and the Impact of Changing U.S. National Space Security Policy
Australian space activities have been reinvigorated, but remain underfunded. China's space activities remain vigorous, but largely unilateral. Given U.S. policy changes, opportunities for cooperation and collaboration among all three have improved.
2014
Report
Using EPIC to Find Conflicts, Inconsistencies, and Gaps in Department of Defense Policies
The authors present a framework and methodology to identify both the roles and responsibilities of those implementing Department of Defense policies and potential conflicts, ambiguities, gaps, inconsistencies, and redundancies in those policies.
Jun 20, 2013
Report
Root Cause Analyses of Nunn-McCurdy Breaches, Volume 1: Zumwalt-Class Destroyer, Joint Strike Fighter, Longbow Apache, and Wideband Global Satellite
Congressional concern with cost overruns in some major defense acquisition programs led to an investigation of root causes by examining program reviews, analyzing data, participating in contractor briefings, and holding meetings with stakeholders.
Nov 7, 2011
Report
Pricing Strategies for NASA Wind-Tunnel Facilities
The authors explore six potential approaches to pricing the use of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wind-tunnel test facilities, and they evaluate each approach against three criteria -- efficiency, fiscal impact, and fairness.
Oct 4, 2011
Report
The Universal Core Information Exchange Framework: Assessing Its Implications for Acquisition Programs
Universal Core (UCore) 2.0 is a DoD and intelligence community information exchange framework. This report reviews UCore pilot programs and identifies issues to be addressed before UCore implementation is mandated for DoD programs.
Jun 1, 2011
Report
Ready for Takeoff: China's Advancing Aerospace Industry
China's current and projected aerospace market demand, domestic production capabilities, and foreign participation, and their implications for U.S. interests.
Mar 24, 2011
Report
Advancing Aeronautics: A Decision Framework for Selecting Research Agendas
Develops a unified decisionmaking approach for selecting aeronautics research agendas that quantifies the social and economic reasons for the research, balances competing perspectives, and enables transparent explanation of the resulting decisions.
Feb 17, 2011
Report
Implications of Aggregated DoD Information Systems for Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation
Consideration of a range of policy and implementation recommendations could permit the development of a way to certify and accredit aggregated U.S. Department of Defense information systems that meets federal requirements and protects networks.
Mar 3, 2010