Current Studies
Congressionally Mandated Studies
Designation of Certain Facilities on Kwajalein Atoll as a Major Range and Test Facility Base
2025-02-12
Section 245 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 requires the DSB to assess the feasibility and advisability of designating the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site and United States Army Garrison Kwajalein Atoll as facilities and resources comprising the Major Range and Test Facility Base, including with respect to the availability and mission capability of such test site and garrison. Areas of focus: history and rationale for the split funding; status of, and interrelationship between, garrison infrastructure/operations and test asset operability, usage, and maintainability; status of supported or supporting relationship between the garrison, the test site, and LL/MIT and the long-term outlook for this partnership; and the role of the Kwajalein Atoll in supporting current and future missions of the DoD.
DSB Permanent Subcommittees
Permanent Subcommittee on Strategic Options
2023-10-05
The DSB, working through the Permanent Subcommittee, will identify concepts, capabilities, strategies, and courses of action in the scientific and technical enterprises that inform decision-making and serve to rebalance intervention cost and benefit to ensure U.S. operational dominance. Under the DSB, the Permanent Subcommittee areas of consideration will include (but not be limited to at the discretion of the USD(R&E)) new and novel uses of space assets; employment of cyber systems; development of new methodologies and countermeasures for electronic warfare; rapid collection and use of strategic counterintelligence; logistics resiliency both within the United States and abroad; region- and circumstance-specific integrated deterrence; existing and potential norms of behavior and escalation thresholds; advanced undersea assets and operational concepts; effective deterrence of adversarial coercive and malign activities in the gray zone; and additional considerations should include the adversary’s attempts and operations to undermine U.S. dominance in the air, space, sea, and cyber domains.
Current Studies:
Maintaining a Cyberspace Warfighting Advantage
2024-12-06
The DSB, working through its Permanent Subcommittee on Strategic Options, is directed to conduct a study on maintaining a cyber warfighting advantage. The study should examine all facets of battlespace management (e.g., policy and doctrine, technology and capabilities, command relationships, force composition and management, common operational picture for domain awareness and real time maneuver warfare) to enable cyber battlespace advantage.
See ToR…
Low-Cost Mass Assets
2023-10-05
The Permanent Subcommittee is tasked to explore ways the DoD can create low-cost mass assets across the air, sea, and land domains in the “multiple thousands” within the next few years, as well as identify ways to counter adversarial assets that would present similar capabilities.
See ToR…
Permanent Subcommittee on Threat Reduction
2022-05-06
With the return of great power competition and the lessons that history has taught us about the continuing evolution of WMD threats, the Permanent Subcommittee on Threat Reduction is established to examine on an ongoing basis how effectively the Department of Defense is – or should be – deterring, countering, and mitigating such threats against the nation, its military forces, and allies.
See ToR…
Current Studies:
Nuclear Survivability of the Joint Force
2024-11-15
The DSB, working through its Permanent Subcommittee on Threat Reduction, is asked to undertake a study and provide recommendations on the DoD’s current understanding of, and attention to, operations in a post nuclear weapon employment environment. The study will capitalize on previous and ongoing Joint and Military Service studies, requirements, and other initiatives.
Permanent Subcommittee on Nuclear Weapons Surety
2022-05-06
This Permanent Subcommittee is tasked to provide continuous, independent technical and programmatic advice regarding the safety, security, control, and reliability of the nuclear enterprise. It will play an independent role in ensuring that new technologies and ideas improve the safety, security, and reliability of our nuclear deterrent through the modernization and sustainment lifecycle. This Permanent Subcommittee will also continuously assess the progress of the nuclear modernization and sustainment programs overall.
See ToR…