RAND Corporation

Ukraine is set to receive 16 advanced Gripen E fighter jets from Sweden under a $2.54 billion deal, with deliveries starting in 2029. The Gripen, designed for mobility and austere operations, aligns with Ukraine's strategy against Russia and complements its existing fleet of F-16s and Soviet-era jets.

The article discusses recurring questions at a conference on the People’s Liberation Army about China's potential military responses to U.S. force posture changes or strikes. It highlights the importance of understanding Chinese military behavior for policymakers and war planners, noting similar scenarios in wargames at the RAND Corporation.

The US Navy faces significant risks to its maritime dominance due to challenges in repairing battle-damaged Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in a hostile Indo-Pacific theater, according to a RAND report. This repair gap could potentially hand China an advantage in a conflict over the Pacific.

A RAND study found U.S. battle-damaged warships could not be quickly repaired during a war with China due to overwhelmed maintenance facilities, insufficient spare parts, and limited allied shipyard capacity. The report highlights risks to maritime dominance and recommends streamlining repair authority, expanding mobile repair capabilities, and securing access to allied ports in the Pacific.

Wall Street is adopting new catastrophe models to predict wars and geopolitical risks as conflicts increase globally. Verisk Maplecroft has developed models like the Predictive War Index and Geopolitical Relations Index, which use machine learning to forecast military conflicts and government collapses. Financial institutions like Citigroup and Morgan Stanley are urging a shift from historical data to forward-looking risk assessments.

A new report finds that slightly more than half of teacher preparation programs now align with the science of reading, doubling from a quarter three years ago. However, hundreds of programs remain unaligned, and many teach outdated methods, despite states adopting science of reading policies. States like Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Indiana saw reading score improvements with these policies, but progress remains uneven.

The article highlights a recruitment crisis in the U.S. military's tri-service medical corps (Army, Navy, Air Force), with physicians leaving at high rates due to pay disparity, administrative burdens, and clinical skill degradation. A 2024 RAND Corporation study underscores these challenges, which threaten sustained military operations.

The Trump administration is reconsidering permanent daylight saving time (DST) to eliminate biannual clock changes, but health experts warn it could disrupt circadian rhythms and worsen health outcomes. Dr. Wendy Troxel argues permanent DST forces people to wake in darkness, harming sleep and safety, while organizations like the American Academy of Sleep Medicine advocate for permanent standard time instead.