Sortie optimization and munitions planning

View/ Open
Author
Coulter, Dennis M.
Washburn, Alan R.
Brown, Gerald Gerard
Date
1993-05-06Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
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.
Description
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
NPS Report Number
NPS-OR-93-011Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Optimization models for allocation of air strike assets with persistence
Castro, Davi Rogerio da Silva (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2002-12);This thesis addresses the critical process of assigning strike aircraft to targets once the targets have been identified: How do we optimally employ available aircraft and weapons on the current set of targets, and how can ... -
The role of airpower in irregular warfare for the 21st century
Huebert, Kevin D. (Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School, 2009-12);Throughout the history of warfare, the use of non-traditional soldiers, weapons and tactics to counter the conventional military has become increasingly important. Our enemies in the 21st century rely upon unconventional ... -
Comparison of fixed wing aircraft algorithms for JANUS
Daniels, Charles L. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1994-09);This research compares the fixed wing altitude algorithms utilized in the United States and the Australian versions of the combat modeling tool, JANUS(A). The Australian Army Battle Simulatian ...