A goal programming approach for determining the force structure of naval surface groups using the analytic hierarchy process.

Abstract

A methodology for determining the force structure of naval surface groups is developed. A survey of naval surface officers is used to determine a surface ship's relative superiority over the others with respect to several factors (e.g., speed, warfare capabilities, and fuel consumption). The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is employed to convert survey judgments into numerical preference weights. The AHP coefficients are then used as objective function weights in the mixed integer goal programming model formulations. The object of each model formulation is to select a preferred mix of ship types by minimizing the total deviation from one or more force level goals given certain system constraints such as budget, weapon requirements, and/or existing force levels