Christopher A. Mouton

Senior Engineer; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Santa Monica Office

Education

M.S. and Ph.D. in aero/astro engineering, California Institute of Technology (Caltech); B.S. in aero/astro engineering, University of Texas

One Page Bio

Overview

Christopher Mouton a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation, and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School.

Mouton has expertise in analysis of alternatives, force structure analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), personnel recovery, and special operations.

Research Focus

Selected Publications

Mouton, Christopher A., Carl Rhodes, Mark V. Arena, Paul DeLuca, Andrew Dowse, John P. Godges, Adam R. Grissom, Caleb Lucas, and Erik Silfversten, Establishing a Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise for Australia: International and Domestic Lessons Learned, RAND Corporation (RR-A1710-1), 2022

Hanson, Russell, Christopher A. Mouton, Adam R. Grissom, and John P. Godges, COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: A New Tool Helps Analyze Commercial Air Travel Involving Infected Passengers, RAND Corporation (RR-A248-1), 2020

Mouton, Christopher A., Adam R. Grissom, Preparing for "Post-ISIL" Access Challenges: Robust Basing to Support Operations Against Nonstate Adversaries, RAND Corporation (RR-2493), 2018

Mouton, Christopher A., John P. Godges, Timelines for Reaching Injured Personnel in Africa, RAND Corporation (RR-1536-OSD), 2016

Christopher A. Mouton and Hans G. Hornung, "Experiments on the Mechanism of Inducing Transition between Regular and Mach Reflection," Physics of Fluids, 20(12), 2008

Christopher A. Mouton and Hans G. Hornung, "Mach Stem Height and Growth Rate Predictions," AIAA Journal, 45(9), 2007

Commentary

Decisionmaking

Rising to the Challenge: A Methodological Approach to Prioritizing Defense Investments
Meeting the Pentagon's goals to invest efficiently in military capabilities calls for a methodological process hinging on five key elements: aligning strategies with tasks, understanding what drives military innovation, embracing specificity in problem-solving, preparing for an unknown future, and assessing technology investments for prioritization.
May 30, 2023
The RAND Blog
Geopolitical Strategic Competition

Beyond the 'Mine Shaft Gap': Navigating Threat Perceptions in the Sino-American Rivalry
In “Dr. Strangelove,” the “mine shaft gap” was an astute satirical concept that reflected the mindset that any perceived disadvantage between the United States and the Soviet Union posed an existential threat. Though fictional, this kind of calculation is not unheard of in real-life, modern-day thinking. Shrewd discernment could help avoid it as the United States pursues its national security objectives.
May 24, 2023
The RAND Blog
Military Budgets and Defense Spending

Peacetime Fuel 'Tankering' Could Save $25 Million Per Year
Fuel tankering involves carrying excess fuel on an aircraft when flying from origins where fuel is less expensive than at the destination. Tankering fuel to a conflict zone such as Afghanistan is almost always cost-effective, but the story is more complex in other regions because of the way fuel is purchased and resold within the DoD itself.
May 4, 2015
The RAND Blog

Publications

Report
An Enterprise Cost-Effectiveness Approach to Decisionmaking: Improving Analytic Support to Senior Defense Leaders
The authors propose analytic and programmatic frameworks to explore potential cost-per-effect measures, assess those measures with an enterprise cost-effectiveness approach, and chart a roadmap to add a joint focus in future Air Force decisionmaking.
Dec 5, 2022
Report
Road to Damascus: The Russian Air Campaign in Syria, 2015 to 2018
The authors review the chronology of Russian air operations in Syria, and assess the strategic and operational blueprint, basing strategy and force disposition, effectiveness of the Russian air campaign, and its applicability to future campaigns.
May 11, 2022
Report
Establishing a Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise for Australia: International and Domestic Lessons Learned
The authors describe the relevance of five international case studies in relation to Australia's creation of a Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise, identified as a key priority by the government in its 2020 Defence Strategic Update.
Mar 21, 2022
Report
Russia's Growing Presence in Africa: A Geostrategic Assessment
This report presents an empirically rigorous description of where Russia is involved in Africa, where it is most likely to become involved in the future, and what implications this might have for U.S. Air Forces Africa's regional strategy.
Jan 31, 2022
Report
Seizures of Western Diplomatic Facilities: Historical Timelines, 1979–2019
To help develop effective response capabilities, the authors review attacks on Western diplomatic facilities since 1979, focusing on the duration of each attack and how much advance warning there was of the attack.
Jan 25, 2021
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: Worldwide Spread of COVID-19 Accelerated Starting on February 19, 2020
In this report—part of a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers estimate when COVID-19 transmission via commercial air travel began to rapidly accelerate throughout the world.
Sep 22, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: African Anchor States Face Higher Risk of Importing COVID-19 Cases
In this report—part of a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers quantify the potential vectors of transmission to countries in the U.S. Africa Command area of responsibility.
Sep 22, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: COVID-19 Cases in China Were Likely 37 Times Higher Than Reported in January 2020
In this report—part of a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers estimate the likely number of infections in China in early 2020.
Jun 5, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: A New Tool Helps Analyze Commercial Air Travel Involving Infected Passengers
In this report—the first in a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers introduce a new tool to visualize how COVID-19 infections and commercial air travel have interacted to export infection risk across the world.
Jun 5, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: Decisionmakers Should Base Travel Restrictions on Infection Rates Per Capita and Air Traffic Levels
In this report—part of a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers quantify potential vectors of COVID-19 transmission to the United States resulting from commercial air travel.
Jun 5, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: Air Passenger Transmission Risk to GCC Countries Originated from Outside the Region
In this report—part of a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers quantify the potential vectors of COVID-19 transmission to Gulf Cooperation Council countries as a result of commercial air travel.
Jun 5, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Air Traffic Visualization: By January 31, 2020, at Least 1.5 Daily Infected Passengers Were Originating in China
In this report—part of a series on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—the researchers estimate the daily rate of COVID-19 transmission via air travel from China.
Jun 5, 2020
Report
Personnel Recovery in the AFRICOM Area of Responsibility: Cost-Effective Options for Improvement
This report identifies the most cost-effective options for improving medical rescue capabilities in U.S. Africa Command's area of responsibility.
Aug 27, 2019
Report
OCEANS 17 Tabletop Exercise: Findings and Recommendations
In December 2017, the RAND Corporation conducted a tabletop exercise on air operations across the boundaries between geographic combatant commands. This report describes the exercise's design, key insights from our analysis, and recommendations.
May 9, 2019
Report
Preparing for "Post-ISIL" Access Challenges: Robust Basing to Support Operations Against Nonstate Adversaries
Researchers at the RAND Corporation developed an interactive tool, called sequential basing, to identify robust basing options in regions with recurrent access crises. The tool is demonstrated in this report, which focuses on a post-ISIL context.
Sep 10, 2018
Report
Timelines for Reaching Injured Personnel in Africa
This report studies the military medical literature and recent historical cases to explore the relationships between rescuability and time during medical evacuations and other personnel recovery missions.
Nov 17, 2016
Report
Preliminary Analysis of Helicopter Options to Support Tunisian Counterterrorism Operations
Rising costs and delivery delays might mean that Tunisia should look at potential alternatives to the UH-60M Blackhawk helicopter. This report assesses potential alternatives that are cost-effective and capable of performing the assault mission.
Apr 27, 2016
Report
Rescuing Downed Aircrews: The Value of Time
This report describes research to quantify the "rescuability window" of downed aircrews to assist the U.S. Air Force's reassessment of its personnel recovery force structure.
Nov 9, 2015
Report
Tankering Fuel on U.S. Air Force Transport Aircraft: An Assessment of Cost Savings
The authors analyze the practice of tankering fuel, which seeks to lower total fuel costs by having aircraft carry excess fuel when traveling from locations where fuel is cheaper than it is at the destination.
Jun 23, 2015
Report
Fuel Reduction for the Mobility Air Forces: Executive Summary
Reducing aviation fuel use is an ongoing goal for military and civil operators, and Air Mobility Command is feeling increasing pressure to further reduce fuel use by implementing and following known best practices.
Mar 24, 2015
Report
Fuel Reduction for the Mobility Air Forces
Reducing aviation fuel use is an ongoing goal for military and civil operators, and Air Mobility Command is feeling increasing pressure to further reduce fuel use by implementing and following known best practices.
Mar 24, 2015
Report
Cost-Effective Helicopter Options for Partner Nations
Department of Defense assistance to partner nations entails supporting helicopter fleets, often composed of outdated and difficult-to-service equipment. RAND researchers quantified the implications of migrating these fleets to alternative aircraft.
Mar 2, 2015
Report
The Future of the U.S. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Force
Assesses alternatives for a next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) across a broad set of potential characteristics and situations and weighs them against the costs of those alternatives.
Feb 4, 2014
Report
Maximizing Throughput at Soft Airfields
Shows that there is an optimum landing weight that allows for maximum cargo delivery on soft landing fields. This optimum weight is constant and independent of both aircraft ramp weight and the ability of the soil to resist compressive loads.
Apr 23, 2013
Report
Reducing Long-Term Costs While Preserving a Robust Strategic Airlift Fleet: Options for the Current Fleet and Next-Generation Aircraft
This monograph presents the results of a cost-effectiveness analysis to determine the best way to recapitalize the USAF intertheater (strategic) airlift fleet, which will be reaching the end of its service life in the next few decades.
Jan 31, 2013
Report
Methodologies for Analyzing Remotely Piloted Aircraft in Future Roles and Missions
This briefing describes a suite of tools to help the Air Force think through future roles for remotely piloted aircraft.
May 30, 2012