Christopher G. Pernin

Director, Engineering and Applied Sciences Department; Senior Physical Scientist

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. and M.S. in chemistry, Northwestern University; B.S. in chemistry, University of California, Berkeley

One Page Bio

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Chris Pernin (he/him) is director of the Engineering and Applied Sciences Department and a senior physical scientist at the RAND Corporation. Since joining RAND in 1999, Pernin has been involved with or led a wide range of national security and domestic research projects on decisionmaking, institutional reform, acquisition, technology development, and strategic planning for both national and international clients. He has served on various advisory panels throughout his career, including being an ad hoc member of the Army Science Board and member of the Defense Acquisition Research Journal editorial board. Prior to joining RAND, he spent time at Argonne National Laboratory, working on early development of the Advanced Photon Source facility. Pernin received his M.S. and Ph.D. in chemistry, from Northwestern University and his B.S. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Chemical Demilitarization Endgame
Building Coalitions and Interoperability in the 21st Century
Lessons from Failed Acquisition Programs
Integrating Technologies into the Navy
Towards a School Transportation System in Qatar

Selected Publications

Pernin, Christopher G., Angela O'Mahony, Gene Germanovich, and Matthew Lane, Chasing Multinational Interoperability: Benefits, Objectives, and Strategies, RAND Corporation (RR-3068-A), 2020

Pernin, Christopher G., Jakub P. Hlavka, Matthew E. Boyer, John Gordon IV, Michael Lerario, Jan Osburg, Michael Shurkin, and Daniel C. Gibson, Targeted Interoperability: A New Imperative for Multinational Operations, RAND Corporation (RR-2075-A), 2019

Pernin, Christopher G., Elliot Axelband, Jeffrey A. Drezner, Brian Barber Dille, John Gordon IV, Bruce Held, K. Scott McMahon, Walter L. Perry, Christopher Rizzi, Akhil R. Shah, Peter A. Wilson, and Jerry M. Sollinger, Lessons from the Army's Future Combat Systems Program, RAND Corporation (MG-1206-A), 2012

Pernin, Christopher G., Edward Wu, Aaron L. Martin, Gregory Midgette, and Brendan See, Efficiencies from Applying a Rotational Equipping Strategy, RAND Corporation (MG-1092-A), 2011

Schank, John F., Christopher G. Pernin, Mark V. Arena, and Susan K. Woodward, Controlling the Cost of C4I Upgrades on Naval Ships, RAND Corporation (MG-907-NAVY), 2009

Pernin, Christopher G., Katherine Comanor, Lance Menthe, Louis R. Moore, and Tim Andersen, Allocation of Forces, Fires, and Effects Using Genetic Algorithms, RAND Corporation (TR-423-A), 2008

Pernin, Christopher G., Louis R. Moore, and Katherine Comanor, The Knowledge Matrix Approach to Intelligence Fusion, RAND Corporation (TR-416-A), 2007

Lempert, Robert J., Parry Norling, Christopher G. Pernin, Susan A. Resetar, and Sergej Mahnovski, Next Generation Environmental Technologies: Benefits and Barriers, RAND Corporation (MR-1682-OSTP), 2003

Honors & Awards

President's Gold Award, RAND
Merit Bonus Award, RAND

Commentary

Military Logistics

So Many Questions, So Little Time for Pacific Logistics
The United States has been struggling to “pivot to the Pacific” for over a decade, and one of the major missing pieces is logistics. It is critical that the logistics underpinning a credible military deterrent be figured out now and not wait any longer.
Jun 23, 2023
Breaking Defense
Military Logistics

The Problem of Intra-Theater Lift: Moving Things Around in the Pacific Area of Responsibility
The U.S. joint force's ability to move materiel and people across oceans and continents is unique among militaries. But there are challenges all along the supply chain, addressed by different agencies and military commands in a complicated set of processes, and a collective reluctance to assume responsibility for the mission.
Sep 6, 2022
The RAND Blog
Security Cooperation

Building Interoperability for European Defense
To make the most out of declining defense budgets, the U.S. needs to engage European forces to build interoperability that would enable joint operations to deter and defeat potential adversaries, even with little advance notice. But building interoperable units has often proved difficult even among the friendliest of nations.
Nov 9, 2015
Defense News
Military Budgets and Defense Spending

The More Options, the Better
Preserving the ability of the United States to choose how it will respond to global events is essential. And maintaining options is critical to the calculus.
Sep 23, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
Military Force Planning

Rethinking U.S. Force Planning
While the renewed interest in crisis response forces by the military services is welcome in these times of uncertainty, forces that are permanently assigned to a geographic combatant command and based in a region continue to offer distinct benefits. RAND research has shown that an overseas presence enhances contingency responsiveness in most cases.
May 16, 2014
The RAND Blog
Security Cooperation

Pentagon's Reliance on Europe Is 'Wishful Thinking'
There needs to be more frank and precise thinking about the kind of support allies are able and willing to provide. Counting on Europeans even just to pull as much weight as they have in the past is an increasingly doubtful proposition.
Apr 9, 2014
Defense One
Military Information Technology Systems

Calling for a Time-Out in the Army Intelligence Software Debate
The Army's Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) program has been getting much attention from Congress, and its future was the subject of a heated exchange between the Army's Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno and Representative Duncan Hunter in May.
Aug 21, 2013
The RAND Blog

Publications

Report
An Analysis of Alternative Approaches to Measuring Multinational Interoperability: Early Development of the Army Interoperability Measurement System (AIMS)
Researchers conducted an analysis of alternatives of interoperability measurement systems to support the U.S. Army in achieving interoperability with partners. Researchers identified a new approach, the Army Interoperability Measurement System.
Sep 22, 2021
Report
Chasing Multinational Interoperability: Benefits, Objectives, and Strategies
National defense policies have focused on the importance of multinational interoperability to meeting U.S. defense goals. By recounting both their literature review and interviews, the authors describe potential benefits of interoperability.
Apr 8, 2020
Report
Targeted Interoperability: A New Imperative for Multinational Operations
This report looks at what motivations exist for interoperability and defines a reasonable framework from which to work if and when interoperability needs and investments meet strategic language in the United States.
Mar 25, 2019
Report
Building Armies, Building Nations: Toward a New Approach to Security Force Assistance
This report proposes an alternative approach to Security Force Assistance (SFA) derived from an interpretation of nation-building and legitimacy formation grounded in history.
Oct 24, 2017
Report
The Global Landpower Network: Recommendations for Strengthening Army Engagement
The U.S. Army's global landpower network concept integrates, sustains, and advances the Army's efforts to meet U.S. national security guidance emphasizing the importance of working closely with partner nations to achieve U.S. strategic objectives.
Aug 21, 2017
Report
Worldwide C-17 Availability to Support 82nd Airborne Operations from Fort Bragg/Pope Field
This report explores C-17 availability and determines how quickly these aircraft and their aircrews can reach and depart from Fort Bragg/Pope Field, where the 82nd Airborne Division operates, from the many locations they are deployed to worldwide.
Aug 18, 2016
Report
Enabling the Global Response Force: Access Strategies for the 82nd Airborne Division
The Global Response Force is built for rapid response to unforeseen operations. This study recommends specific GRF access strategies for each geographic combatant command given constraints in aircraft, intermediate staging bases, and other factors.
Jul 28, 2016
Report
Assessing Conventional Army Demands and Requirements for Ultra-Light Tactical Mobility
The Army often uses vehicles informally classified as ultra-light tactical mobility (UTM). This report assesses the demands, requirements, current ad hoc capabilities, and key considerations for developing and sustaining established Army UTM fleets.
Apr 2, 2015
Report
Readiness Reporting for an Adaptive Army
Examines the Army's readiness reporting system in light of changes experienced by Army units in the past decade, particularly the ability of units to adapt to emerging requirements by adding and training up new capabilities quickly.
Oct 10, 2013
Report
Lessons from the Army's Future Combat Systems Program
Documents the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems program's history, from inception to cancellation, and draws lessons from its experiences.
Dec 5, 2012
Report
Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Logistics Applications
Estimates the technical and operational feasibility and likely benefits of employing unmanned aircraft systems for various tasks in support of logistics operations.
Jan 25, 2012
Research Brief
Could a Rotational Equipping Strategy Save the Army Money?
Analyzes how the Army might use a rotational strategy to reduce equipment in early phases of the Army Force Generation cycle, how changes might be applied to units and equipment, and how changes might affect near- and far-term budgets.
Nov 22, 2011
Report
Where Might the U.S. Army Budget Go, and How Might It Get There?
Historic trends in the U.S. Army's largest budget accounts provide context for current decisions on future spending, especially in light of the Army's diminishing role in Iraq and Afghanistan over the coming decade.
Nov 15, 2011
Report
Efficiencies from Applying a Rotational Equipping Strategy
Analyzes how the Army might use a rotational strategy to reduce equipment in early phases of the Army Force Generation cycle, how changes might be applied to units and equipment, and how changes might affect near- and far-term budgets.
Apr 18, 2011
Research Brief
The War Within: Suicide Prevention in the U.S. Military
The increasing number of suicides is causing concern in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Suicide-prevention programs in DoD and across the services have some (but not all) of the characteristics of comprehensive programs.
Feb 17, 2011
Report
The War Within: Preventing Suicide in the U.S. Military
The increase in suicides among military personnel has raised concern. This book reviews suicide epidemiology in the military, catalogs military suicide-prevention activities, and recommends relevant best practices.
Feb 17, 2011
Report
Controlling the Cost of C4I Upgrades on Naval Ships
Looking across a set of completed C4I upgrades to U.S. Navy ships, the authors uncovered mixed evidence of cost improvement, a high level of variability in costs, and a trend toward overestimating the installation-labor costs of certain upgrades.
Sep 14, 2009
Report
Unfolding the Future of the Long War: Motivations, Prospects, and Implications for the U.S. Army
Explores the concept of the long war and identifies ways in which it might unfold as well as the implications for the Army and the U.S. military more generally.
Nov 29, 2008
Report
Allocation of Forces, Fires, and Effects Using Genetic Algorithms
Using information about friendly and enemy forces and the terrain, a RAND-developed model that incorporates a genetic algorithm (1) determines preferred Blue routes around Red forces and (2) allocates forces to these routes.
Jun 11, 2008
Report
The Knowledge Matrix Approach to Intelligence Fusion
As the U.S. military transforms to an information-based force, it will need to collect, combine, and utilize intelligence relying on the process known as ''fusion.'' This report describes one approach to capturing fusion in a constructive simulation.
Sep 4, 2007
Report
The Weapons Mix Problem: A Math Model to Quantify the Effects of Internetting of Fires to the Future Force
Offers some initial observations into the internetting of fires process and a foundation for understanding its relationship to combat outcome.
2005
Report
Next Generation Environmental Technologies: Benefits and Barriers
Examines the potential of Next Generation Environmental Technologies, which reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous materials in manufacturing processes and products.
2003
Report
Assessing Natural Gas and Oil Resources: An Example of a New Approach in the Greater Green River Basin
This report presents a new approach to assessing natural gas and oil resources that is intended to help guide strategic land use planning by expanding the scope of these assessments to include economic and environmental considerations.
2003
Report
Assessing Gas and Oil Resources in the Intermountain West: Review of Methods and Framework For a New Approach
The authors examine four recent traditional assessments of the nation's potential supply of natural gas and oil resources.
2002
Report
The Public Benefit of Energy Efficiency to the State of Washington
The authors estimated energy efficiency by means of energy intensity measures controlled for sectoral composition and energy prices, among other factors.
2002
Report
The Public Benefit of Energy Efficiency to the State of Massachusetts
The authors show that savings from commercial and industrial energy-efficiency programs have provided a positive return on utility investment, and they demonstrate benefits of energy efficiency for Massachusetts households, particularly for low-income households.
2002
Report
The Public Benefit of Energy Efficiency to the State of Minnesota
The authors show that savings from commercial and industrial energy-efficiency programs have provided a positive return on utility investment, and they demonstrate benefits of energy efficiency for Minnesota households, particularly for low-income households.
2002
Report
Generating Electric Power in the Pacific Northwest: Implications of Alternative Technologies
This report examines the implications of using alternative power-generation technologies to meet future energy demands in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
2002
Report
Seeking Nontraditional Approaches to Collaborating and Partnering with Industry
Describes three nontraditional approaches to the Army's goal of collaborating and partnering with industry.
2002
Research Brief
Getting Down to Business: How Innovative Partnerships with Industry Can Benefit the Army
This research brief describes work documented in Seeking Nontraditional Approaches to Collaborating and Partnering with Industry (MR-1401-A).
2002
Report
A New Approach to Assessing Gas and Oil Resources in the Intermountain West
The authors propose that comprehensive resource assessment focus not on land access restrictions but on determining what resources are recoverable.
2002
Report
Assessing the Value of Information Superiority for Ground Forces-Proof of Concept
Advanced communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems are intended to provide information superiority.
2001