File:Optimizing adversary training and the structure of the Navy adversary fleet (IA optimizingdversa1094537674).pdf

Simulation of threat aircraft tactics and capabilities during training is an integral component of maintaining the combat readiness of the United States Navy. A dedicated adversary air force supports the majority of adversary training missions, but these airframes are aging and lack the sortie generation capacity and the performance capabilities to completely satisfy the training requirements. The Navy currently uses other opposition forces to fill the gap between the adversary air force capacity and the demand for training. This training gap will grow over the next decade as current airframes reach their flight hour limits, and as resources become scarcer, the task of determining efficient assignment of these resources becomes more difficult for planners and the resulting solutions are more expensive than necessary. This thesis presents the Adversary Sortie Optimization Tool, which uses an integer-linear program to optimize the assignment of adversary air sorties to meet the annual fleet training demands over a 20-year planning horizon, and prescribes yearly upgrades to the adversary air force, including procurement of performance enhancing aircraft pods, improved radar, new aircraft, and system upgrades. Solutions provide a reduction in operating costs of hundreds of millions of dollars using efficient sortie assignment, aircraft and system upgrades, and managing the home base location of aircraft. These savings are achieved while also improving the quality of training and saving valuable hours on fleet aircraft.

Subjects: Optimization; integer-linear program; United States Navy; adversary; strikefighter squadron; aviation; air combat; training; readiness 15.NUMBER OFPAGES 111