Today, the United States possesses military predominance, and American political and economic ideas have broad global appeal. Almost all of the economically capable nations are our allies. Yet the end of the Cold War has also brought an increase in disorder as a result of the rise in ethnic nationalism and the fragmentation of several states. And these are not the only complications in the current strategic situation. The old U.S. grand strategy--its stand against the Soviet Union--has become moot, and a new one must be devised in the face of a changing world. This book discusses this need and examines three possible strategies. It goes on to discuss the complexities of current geopolitical trends and describes the demands these situations might place on the U.S. military and, in particular, the Air Force.

The Western victory in the Cold War has left the United States as the world's preeminent power. At the moment, it faces no global rival and no significant hostile alliance that might threaten its security or vital interests. Despite a decline in its relative economic power, the United States still has the world's largest economy. Moreover, the United States possesses military predominance, and American political and economic ideas have broad global appeal. Almost all of the economically capable nations are our allies. In modern times no single nation has held a position as preeminent as that of the United States today. At the same time, with the end of the Cold War, there has been an increase in disorder as a result of the rise in ethnic nationalism and the fragmentation of several states. Among the Cold War allies, there is intense economic competition, and managing alliance relations has become more difficult in the absence of a powerful common enemy. Several powers are opposed to the new international configuration. Some of these are rogue states, such as North Korea, Iran, and Iraq. But some major powers, such as Russia and China, are also dissatisfied with the status quo.

Advances in information technology have led us to rely on easy communication and readily available information--both in our personal lives and in the life of our nation. For the most part, we have rightly welcomed these changes. But information that is readily available is available to friend and foe alike; a system that relies on communication can become useless if its ability to communicate is interfered with or destroyed. Because this reliance is so general, attacks on the information infrastructure can have widespread effects, both for the military and for society. And such attacks can come from a variety of sources, some difficult or impossible to identify. This, the third volume in the Strategic Appraisal series, draws on the expertise of researchers from across RAND to explore the opportunities and vulnerabilities inherent in the increasing reliance on information technology, looking both at its usefulness to the warrior and the need to protect its usefulness for everyone. The Strategic Appraisal series is intended to review, for a broad audience, issues bearing on national security and defense planning.

This volume analyzes how the utility of various instruments of U.S. power has changed in recent years, primarily owing to the end of the Cold War. For that reason, we need to set forth our view of the changing international context within which the instruments are applied. Our perspective on the emerging new world order was set forth in the first chapter of Strategic Assessment 1995, which we summarize here with some changes in nuance to reflect developments during 1995 and with some additional material to extend the analysis beyond the realm of geostrategy. The essential characteristics of the present strategic environment are uncertainty and change. The world is going through several types of dramatic changes. For heuristic purposes, those changes can be grouped into three broad categories-geostrategic, information, and, less clearly defined than the others, character of government.

This is an authoritative and practical guide to collecting, analysing and managing data, to enable managers and companies to develop successful business strategies. Data has become a dominant factor in today's business environment. This book, written by a leading practitioner, explains the underpinning nature of data for a company's business strategy. The book begins with data collection: getting data is no big deal; getting the right data to win in the market is. It moves on to data analysis: turning data into actionable intelligence is what drives and determines competitive advantage. And, finally, managing data: how to organise your data collection and analysis to create winning strategies. This is a definitive book about one of the most important topics in today's digital and data-driven economy.

Advances in information technology have led us to rely on easy communication and readily available information--both in our personal lives and in the life of our nation. For the most part, we have rightly welcomed these changes. But information that is readily available is available to friend and foe alike; a system that relies on communication can become useless if its ability to communicate is interfered with or destroyed. Because this reliance is so general, attacks on the information infrastructure can have widespread effects, both for the military and for society. And such attacks can come from a variety of sources, some difficult or impossible to identify. This, the third volume in the Strategic Appraisal series, draws on the expertise of researchers from across RAND to explore the opportunities and vulnerabilities inherent in the increasing reliance on information technology, looking both at its usefulness to the warrior and the need to protect its usefulness for everyone. The Strategic Appraisal series is intended to review, for a broad audience, issues bearing on national security and defense planning.

This Assessment is aimed at policymakers, analysts, and members of the public who want a serious summary of the threats facing the U.S. in the next decade. Contents: major powers (Russia, Europe, China, Japan, North America); significant regional contingencies (Persian Gulf, Korean peninsula, Arab-Israel conflict, India-Pakistan, proliferation); troubled states (Balkans, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle Eastern radicalism); transnational problems (international terrorism; international crime; refugees, migration, and population); force structure (threat assessment, key military missions, force structure). Illustrated.