RAND Project Air Force

RAND Project Air Force under the Air Force's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) Management Support, aims to provide continuing analytical research across a broad spectrum of aerospace issues and concerns. The program's primary objectives include addressing difficult and complex, far-reaching and inter-related questions linked to future strategies, approaches, and policies to enhance Air Force senior leadership's deliberations and decision-making on major issues. The program is organized into four primary research program areas: strategy and doctrine; force modernization employment; manpower, personnel and training; and resource management. It also conducts integrative research projects with direct support provided through the most applicable program. The research themes encompass a wide spectrum of topics including external challenges to national security, terrorism and homeland defense, joint and coalition operations, integrated roadmap for ISR capabilities, enhancing infrastructure to meet new force requirements, potential changes to the manpower mix, improved weapon system costing, among others.

The RAND Project Air Force program provides independent non-Department of Defense analysis of complex present-day and emerging issues that are shared beyond the immediacy of the Air Force. The program's study results are given wide dissemination within the DOD on a routine basis and are deposited with the Defense Technical Information Center available to a broad range of qualified government and commercial-sector individuals and activities. Additionally, this program may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such programs funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in other related program elements. The program is managed under Budget Activity 6, RDT&E Management Support because it includes research, development, test and evaluation efforts and funds to sustain and/or modernize the installations or operations required for general research, development, test and evaluation.

In summary, the RAND Project Air Force program aims to conduct analytical research across a broad spectrum of aerospace issues and concerns in various areas such as strategy and doctrine, force development employment, manpower, personnel & training, resource management as well as integrative research/direct support. The program seeks to inform and support senior Air Force leadership regarding personnel management and training; improving logistical efficiencies and force sustainment; ongoing conflicts and joint operations; force structure capabilities; limitations; operational concepts; making force structure tradeoffs within resource constraints to meet future national security needs.