Optimizing Resources of United States Navy for Humanitarian Operations

Abstract

The United States Navy (USN) can swiftly respond to disasters due to the unique levels of readiness that are maintained on a constant basis. The maritime strategy outlined in the Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century states that the USN will focus on partnerships with all the key players in the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) to safeguard United States’ interests. The substantial contributions made by USN toward HADR are possible due to their many unique and critical capabilities. However, not all the efforts by USN have been as efficient and effective as they could have been. We develop mathematical model to optimize the deployment of USN assets during HADR operations.