Sortie optimization and munitions planning

Abstract

Since 1965, the United States Air Force has relied on mathematical programming for the planning of conventional air-to-ground munitions. The centerpiece of this planning effort is HEAVY ATTACK, a theater-level model employing large-scale nonlinear programming to load weapons onto aircraft and assign sorties to targets. The single-period objective is to maximize the expected destroyed target value over the forecast weather states by assigning sorties which use the best delivery tactics in each weather state with available aircraft and weapons stocks. Over multiple periods, HEAVY ATTACK accounts for differences between targets in regeneration rate, value, and ease of damage assessment, and accounts for aircraft attrition and remaining weapons stocks, mounting the best sorties possible with the remaining resources. In 1988 approximately $2 billion worth of weapons were purchased with guidance from HEAVY ATTACK; additional expenditures of $5.2 billion are being planned for 1994-99. In 1990-91, media coverage of Desert Storm made the focus of HEAVY ATTACK apparent to millions of viewers.