Sensor interceptor operational policy optimization for maritime interdiction missions

Download
Author
Rozen, Nir
Date
2009-12Advisor
Royset, Johannes O.
Second Reader
Kress, Moshe
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Maritime Interdiction Missions (MIM) are of great interest and high operational importance to the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, and allied forces. The MIM scenario discussed in this thesis includes an area of interest with multiple neutral and hostile vessels moving through this area, and an interdiction force consisting of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and an intercepting vessel, whose objectives are to search, identify, and intercept hostile vessels within a given time frame. In this thesis, we develop Stochastic Dynamic Programming models, which represent the MIM scenario. While a theoretical method of producing an optimal decision policy for the interdiction force is presented in this thesis, it is shown that such computation is intractable. The models developed in this study are used to analyze and evaluate the performance of a heuristic decision policy that we recommend to be applied by the interdiction force. Based on a numerical case study, which includes several representative MIM scenarios, we show that the number of intercepted hostile vessels following the heuristic decision policy is at least 60% of the number of hostile vessels intercepted following the optimal decision policy. Based on the results of the heuristic performance in the numerical case studies, we recommend the implementation of our suggested heuristic in an operational decision aid for Maritime Interdiction Missions.
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
The Eye and the Fist: Optimizing Search and Interdiction
Kress, Moshe; Royset, Johannes O.; Rozen, N. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2010-06-24);Interdiction operations involving search, identification, and interception of suspected objects are of great interest and high operational importance to military and naval forces as well as nation’s coast guards and ... -
The Eye and the Fist: Optimizing Search and Interdiction
Kress, Moshe; Royset, Johannes O.; Rozen, N. (2010-06-24);Interdiction operations involving search, identification, and interception of suspected objects are of great interest and high operational importance to miiitary and naval forces as well as nation's coast guards and border ... -
Planning for an adaptive evader with application to drug interdiction operations
Gift, Philip D. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2010-09);In an effort to impede the flow of drugs from South America, a Coalition Force headed by Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) - South allocates its assets to detect and interdict drug smuggling vessels such as the ...