The more accurately a cost index captures a shipbuilder's risk, the less the Navy should have to pay its shipbuilders. The Navy uses such indexes to correct for significant cost risks outside its shipbuilders' control. A longtime material-cost index in Navy shipbuilding is the steel-vessel index, but it is outdated and volatile. The authors urge the Navy to develop a modern-vessel index that more appropriately represents the materials used today.
RAND was assigned to assess alternative acquisition strategies for the Navy's new family of destroyers. The authors drew on the history of competition in acquisition programs to examine a rich array of options. They concluded that for the program that existed in 2003 competition among primes would be impractical, that splitting the work should sustain the industrial base, and that a mixed strategy using different contract forms would work best.
The more accurately a cost index captures a shipbuilder's risk, the less the Navy should have to pay its shipbuilders. The Navy uses such indexes to correct for significant cost risks outside its shipbuilders' control. A longtime material-cost index in Navy shipbuilding is the steel-vessel index, but it is outdated and volatile. The authors urge the Navy to develop a modern-vessel index that more appropriately represents the materials used today.
Nuclear submarine design resources at the shipyards, their suppliers, and the Navy may erode for lack of demand. Analysis of alternative workforce and workload management options suggests that the U.S. Navy should stretch out the design of the next submarine class and start it early or sustain design resources above the current demand, so that the next class may be designed on time, on budget, and with low risk.
As the United States seeks ways to stretch its defense dollars, pursue the Global War on Terrorism, and meet other national-security challenges, it is highly likely that policymakers will increase their reliance on aircraft carriers, using them more often and in more situations than they have in the past, especially if the vessels have the additional capabilities to respond appropriately. The current and expected use of aircraft carriers led the United States Navy in fall 2004 to commission RAND to explore new and nontraditional ways that the United States might be able to employ aircraft carriers in pursuit of traditional and emerging military and homeland defense missions. Over six months, RAND created and convened two Concept Options Groups (COGs)-small groups of experienced military and civilian experts, defense analysts, and potential users who work together to identify promising ways to employ military might in nontraditional ways-to explore possible nontraditional roles for aircraft carriers. One COG explored and identified new ways that aircraft carriers could be used in combat operations; the second COG examined ways that the vessels could be used in noncombat, homeland security missions or to help the nation recover from terrorist attacks or natural disasters in U.S. territories. Among the combat recommendations to come from the COG insights are that abilities need to be enhanced to reconfigure carrier air wings; among noncombat recommendations are that the availability of nonready carriers to respond to unforeseen crises needs to be improved. This monograph summarizes the activities, findings, and recommendations of both carrier COGs. It should be of special interest to the Navy and to uniformed and civilian decisionmakers with responsibilities related to naval and carrier operations, maritime domain awareness, or homeland security.
This Brief explores emerging trends in drug use and distribution. This timely Brief examines recent examples of emerging drugs including salvia (from the plant Salvia divinorum), bath salts (and other synthetic stimulants) and so-called research chemicals (primarily substituted phenethylamines, synthetic cousins of ecstasy), which have tended to receive brief levels of high intensity media coverage that may or may not reflect an actual increase in their usage. Over the past decade in particular, “new” substances being used recreationally seem to come out of obscurity and gain rapid popularity, particularly spurred on by discussion and distribution over the internet. While changing trends in the drug market have always presented a challenge for law enforcement and public health officials, online forums, media coverage and other recent trends discussed in this Brief allow them to gain popularity more quickly and change more frequently. These rapid shifts allow less time for researchers to understand the potential health consequences of these substances and for law enforcement to stay abreast of abuses of legal substances. This work includes: 1) review of relevant research and literature, 2) review the Internet sources in which many deem important in influencing the emerging drug market, 3) discussion of national and international trends in use, abuse and distribution of these substances and 4) examination of current drug policy and recommendations for the future. This brief will be useful for criminology and criminal justice, sociology and public health. It will also be useful for those that deal with youth and the problems that may develop during adolescence and early adulthood.
The U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier fleet must meet the forward presence requirements of theater commanders. With a decreasing fleet size, planners must balance the timing of maintenance, training, and deployment with presence and surge demands. Evaluating multiple one- and two-deployment scenarios per cycle, RAND examines the feasibility of different cycle lengths, their effect on carrier forward presence, and their impact on shipyard workloads.
This book analyses UK defence as a complex, interdependent public-private enterprise covering politics, management, society, and technology, as well as the military. Building upon wide-ranging applied research, with extensive access to ministers, policy makers, senior military commanders, and industrialists, the book characterises British defence as a phenomenon that has endured extensive transformation this century. Looking at the subject afresh as a complex, extended enterprise involving politics, alliances, businesses, skills, economics, military practices, and citizens, the authors profoundly reshape our understanding of ‘defence’ and how it is to be commissioned and delivered in a world dominated by geopolitical risks and uncertainties. The book makes the case that this new understanding of defence must inevitably lead to new policies and processes to ensure its health and vitality. This book will be of much interest to students of defence studies, British politics, and military and strategic studies, as well as policy makers and practitioners.
The key concepts every manager and aspiring leader must know—from strategy and disruptive innovation to financial intelligence and change management—from bestselling Harvard Business Review authors. Build your professional library, and advance your career with these five timeless, ground-breaking business classics. Includes Financial Intelligence, Revised Edition; The Innovator’s Dilemma; Leading Change; Playing to Win; and Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition.
This tenth volume of Roman Imperial Coinage completed the first edition of the series founded by Mattingly and Sydenham in 1923. Its layout is based on the division between the eastern and western parts of the empire, and the reigns of successive emperors. A further section deals with imitative coinages struck by certain of the barbarian peoples. There are detailed accounts of the monetary system and mints, and of the coin-types and legends. The catalogue comprises some 1,800 entries, each individually numbered, and illustrated by 80 plates. (NP The coinage is discussed not only in its historical setting, but also in a comprehensive and documented conceptual context, making RIC X essential reading for students of the late Roman and Byzantine period, as well as for collectors. This seminal volume is reprinted by Spink in 2018 to make it available again to all those interested in this fascinating period of Roman Imperial coinage. (NP) Dr John Kent joined the Department of Coins and Medals at the British Museum in 1953, and was Keeper from 1983 until his retirement in 1990. As well as being an editor of the Roman Imperial Coinage series , he is the author of Roman Imperial Coinage Volume VIII (1981).
Animal Welfare in a Pandemic explores the impact of COVID-19 on a wide array of animals, from those in the wild to companion and captive animals. During the height of the pandemic, a range of animals were infected, and many died, but this was hard to predict, even using up-to-date bioinformatics. Lockdowns around the world had, and continue to have, a major effect on animals’ welfare, influencing pet ownership and care, as well as impacting on the work of conservation institutes due to the lack of visitors and funding and lack of tourist presence in the wild which impacted on anti-poaching efforts. Some of the vast amount of personal protection equipment (PPE) that was distributed was discarded, creating both dangers and occasional opportunities for wild animals. With the rollout of human vaccines, some countries started developing animal vaccines, only some of which were deployed. In summary, the pandemic had a wide-ranging influence on animal welfare around the world. This is reviewed to highlight what can be learned to protect and enhance animal welfare in future epidemics/pandemics, and contribute to a genuinely One Health approach where the health and welfare of both humans and animals are considered holistically. This book is authored by members of the University of the West of England, Bristol, who span a range of expertise in Biological Sciences, Social Sciences, Animal Welfare, and Ethics.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.