Optimizing helicopter assault support in a high demand environment

Abstract

Helicopter assault support planning for a large Marine Corps operation is complex and time consuming. Hundreds of constraints and millions of potential solutions exist. The Marine Corps currently does this planning manually. The warfighters' logistical needs require a quick solution, and therefore speed is usually more important than a tight guarantee of optimality. The Marine Assault Support Helicopter Planning Assistance Tool (MASHPAT) assists planners by leveraging automation speed and accuracy to consider millions of solutions and suggest a desirable plan. It demonstrates an ability to produce plans more quickly that are more efficient. MASHPAT runs on Navy Marine Corps (NMCI) computers in theater and is available now at no cost.