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Full-Text Articles in Business

Requirements-Based Methodology For Determining Age Inventory Levels, James A. Mackenna Mar 2001

Requirements-Based Methodology For Determining Age Inventory Levels, James A. Mackenna

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to illuminate crucial areas in analyzing AGE needs on an operational flightllne and assist in determination of AGE inventory levels. Further refinements could result in more objective and accurate assessments of actual flightline AGE needs and associated risks involved with reduction of AGE inventory levels. The research in this thesis consists of a discrete event simulation to determine desired AGE inventory level through an analysis of aircraft launches and wait time for AGE support by varying AGE (mean time between failure) MTBF and AGE inventory. Stochastic inputs for aircraft failures, AGE delivery times, and …

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Analysis Of Factors Influencing Tolerance Of Fraternization, George J. Matusak Iii Mar 2001

Analysis Of Factors Influencing Tolerance Of Fraternization, George J. Matusak Iii

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores several factors that might explain discrepancies in the tolerance level of fraternization among company grade officers within the Air Force. Factors that may influence implementation may include the nature of the relationship (platonic or sexual), the sex of the participants (same or different gender or gender of the senior person), whether the incident occurred between people in the same chain of command, and whether the survey respondent was ever stationed at a remote location. This research used a survey sent out to a population of company grade officers and comprising of scenarios that varied the combination of …

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Predictability, Work-Family Conflict, And Intent To Stay: An Air Force Case Study, Patrick J. Obruba Mar 2001

Predictability, Work-Family Conflict, And Intent To Stay: An Air Force Case Study, Patrick J. Obruba

Theses and Dissertations

A survey was completed by 362 active duty Air Force members in December 2000 regarding their perceptions of schedule predictability, work-family conflict, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intent to stay with the Air Force. Theory suggests that a program designed to create schedule predictability, the Expeditionary Aerospace Force (EAF), would moderate the relationship between predictability and intent to stay. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), plausible evidence was found to support the idea that schedule predictability plays a role in intentions to stay via work-family conflict, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Additional evidence supported the theory that the path relationships generated …

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Organizational Design Of Most Efficient Organization Air Force Civil Engineer Operations Flights, Jeffrey A. Payne Mar 2001

Organizational Design Of Most Efficient Organization Air Force Civil Engineer Operations Flights, Jeffrey A. Payne

Theses and Dissertations

This research explored how two MEO Operations Flights were structured and what type of operations management practices they were utilizing. The research involved performing site visits at the 17th Civil Engineer Squadron at Goodfellow AFB, and the 14th Civil Engineer Squadron at Columbus AFB. Data was collected through the use of the case study methodology in the form of interviews and organizational records. Data was organized to describe the two MEO's structures and management practices as well as compare the organizations to the Objective Operations Flight, the traditional Air Force Operations Flight. The data showed that both MEO's have taken …

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Revising R & D Program Budgets When Considering Funding Curtailment With A Weibull Model, Paul H. Porter Mar 2001

Revising R & D Program Budgets When Considering Funding Curtailment With A Weibull Model, Paul H. Porter

Theses and Dissertations

This research develops an analytical technique to estimate the impact of funding curtailment on an R&D program. The method quickly produces a revised budget by year for an on-going R&D program when funding in one year is reduced. We assume program requirements remain unchanged. The program duration may be unchanged or "stretched" to a later completion date. We use the Rayleigh and Weibull functions to model expenditure profiles, which forms basis of the analytical approach. Our proposed methodology accounts for budget outlay rates and inflation. We validate the proposed analytical technique using historical cost data from several programs.

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Estimating C-17 Operating And Support Costs: Development Of A System Dynamics Model, Christopher D. Purvis Mar 2001

Estimating C-17 Operating And Support Costs: Development Of A System Dynamics Model, Christopher D. Purvis

Theses and Dissertations

This research provides justification for experimenting with system dynamics (SD) for performing Operation and Support Cost estimates. For the C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft, these costs could exceed $64 billion dollars. Also, many of our weapon systems are beginning to reach the end of their effective life span, and discussions about the impact of aging, on aircraft, has become a hot topic in the literature. System Dynamics is a modeling methodology developed in 1958, but never used extensively for cost estimating. SD offers unique capabilities to the cost estimator, including the ability to model causal relationships. This capability offers the …

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Factors Affecting Exchange Relationships Among Subordinates And Supervisors: A Study Of Military Officers, Laurie K. Richter Mar 2001

Factors Affecting Exchange Relationships Among Subordinates And Supervisors: A Study Of Military Officers, Laurie K. Richter

Theses and Dissertations

This research examined the effect of organizational structure on the relationships between subordinates and their supervisors using measures of leader-member exchange (LMX), mentoring effectiveness, perceived organizational support (POS), perceived opportunities for promotion, job satisfaction, affective commitment, and intent to remain. The sample obtained included 147 subordinate Air Force traditional Civil Engineer officers, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers, Bioenvironmental Engineer officers, and 27 squadron commanders at 19 Air Force bases. The methods of multiple analysis of variance and structural equation modeling were used to evaluate five research questions and nineteen hypotheses. Overall, no differences were found between the types of subordinate …

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Knowledge Management In The Cost Analysis Knowledge Domain: Generating, Organizing, And Developing Knowledge For Crosschecking Cost Estimates, Ryan J. Rueve Mar 2001

Knowledge Management In The Cost Analysis Knowledge Domain: Generating, Organizing, And Developing Knowledge For Crosschecking Cost Estimates, Ryan J. Rueve

Theses and Dissertations

Two problems the Aeronautical Systems Center's Acquisition Cost Division (ASC/FMC) is encountering with its Life Cycle Cost/Lean Process Initiative (LCC/LPI) efforts are (Marshall and Seibel. 2000): (1) a high proportion of inexperienced to experienced cost analysts which makes access to valuable expertise limited, and (2) knowledge loss due to turnover of experienced cost analysts. To address these problems, this thesis presents a four-step tailored methodology to identity tasks or processes important to the functioning of an organization, capture knowledge from experts pertaining to those tasks (generate content), convert that knowledge into a flowchart (organize content), and have experts critique the …

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Air Mobility Command Passenger Reservation System Analysis, Robert E. Tuttle Mar 2001

Air Mobility Command Passenger Reservation System Analysis, Robert E. Tuttle

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense (DoD) has undergone a massive downsizing in an effort to comply with President Clinton's directive to 'reinvent' government making it more efficient. Therefore, the DoD revamped its $3.5 billion annual official business travel program. The core of this project is the Defense Travel System (DTS), an Internet based solution providing personally arranged travel, largely circumventing the base transportation offices. This thesis looks at DTS's Air Mobility Command passenger reservation management. This program is comprised of four geographically separated Passenger Reservation Centers located in Scott AFB IL, Japan, Germany and Hawaii. The objective of this study was …

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Relating Initial Budget To Program Growth With Rayleigh And Weibull Models, Eric J. Unger Mar 2001

Relating Initial Budget To Program Growth With Rayleigh And Weibull Models, Eric J. Unger

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research on completed defense R&D shows that contract expenditures can be fit well with a Rayleigh model. With fixed outlay rates, as prescribed by the OSD comptroller, the budget profile must have most of the funds in the early years to produce Rayleigh-distributed expenditures. R&D programs with more delayed funding profiles may also produce expenditures that a Rayleigh model fits through schedule slips and cost overruns. This research tests how well the initial funding profile produces Rayleigh-distributed expenditures that can be related to the program's final cost overrun and schedule slips. Based only on the initial budget profile, we …

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Changing Organizations: A Meta-Analysis Of Change Implementation Strategies' Effects On Organizational Outcomes, Jay A. Welborn Mar 2001

Changing Organizations: A Meta-Analysis Of Change Implementation Strategies' Effects On Organizational Outcomes, Jay A. Welborn

Theses and Dissertations

This research represents a meta-analysis of 24 empirical studies that explored and identified which organizational factors moderated the relationships between facilitation strategies and change adoption The results indicate two key facilitation strategies, participation and communication that produced significant results. Participation resulted in a positive impact on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, performance, and turnover rates, while communication resulted in a positive impact on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, change adoption, and intent to remain. Contrary to many research studies, participation strategy was a non-significant moderator for change adoption. The identified strategies and outcomes were then analyzed for potential moderators. Due to the …

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Effects Of Alternative Performance Criteria Upon Composition Of Air Transportable Spare Parts Kits, Murat V. Buyukacar Mar 2001

Effects Of Alternative Performance Criteria Upon Composition Of Air Transportable Spare Parts Kits, Murat V. Buyukacar

Theses and Dissertations

Airlift capacity is a definitive factor in the success of large-scale military operations. History proves that the demand for airlift soon exceeds its capacity during simultaneous deployment of forces. Therefore good solutions to the airlift capacity problem are important. This thesis contributes to the resolution of this problem by seeking ways to reduce readiness spare parts packages (RSPs) deployed for Air Force squadrons through addition of airlift criteria into the RSP selection process. We find that item cost, weight, and volume are three important criteria for RSP computations. We then offer a method for implementing these three criteria in the …

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Analysis And Evaluation Of The Macroscopic Organizational Structure Of Red Horse, Lance D. Clark Mar 2001

Analysis And Evaluation Of The Macroscopic Organizational Structure Of Red Horse, Lance D. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The primary contingency engineering capability within the United States Air Force is provided by Rapid Engineer Deployable, Heavy Operations Readiness Squadron, Engineer (RED HORSE). This thesis examines the macroscopic organizational structure of RED HORSE; that is, the manner in which RED HORSE resources (personnel and equipment) are organized collectively, above the unit (squadron or flight) level. It builds on the findings of the Air Combat Command - sponsored RED HORSE 2010 Strategic Study, and focuses on issues of geographic location and chain of command above the unit level, as the study found these two topics were found to be vital …

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An Analysis Of The Interaction Between The J3 And J4 War Planning Staffs During The Phases Of Crisis Action Planning, Michael J. Colvard Mar 2001

An Analysis Of The Interaction Between The J3 And J4 War Planning Staffs During The Phases Of Crisis Action Planning, Michael J. Colvard

Theses and Dissertations

A principal operational concept of Joint Vision 2020 is that of Focused Logistics, which promotes a merger of information and logistics technologies. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Advanced Logistics Project (ALP) supports this concept of Focused Logistics and seeks to leverage information technologies to obtain control over the logistics pipeline. The current campaign planning process is limited by the information made available to the decision-makers. In order for ALP to assist the decision-maker in selecting a single optimal deployment plan, the founding assumptions of alternatives considered must be valid. Logistical issues are major constraints in the war planning process. …

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Analysis Of The Next Generation Small Loader (Ngsl) In Reducing The Mobility Footprint, Victor A. Anaya Mar 2001

Analysis Of The Next Generation Small Loader (Ngsl) In Reducing The Mobility Footprint, Victor A. Anaya

Theses and Dissertations

The impact the Next Generation Small Loader (NGSL) will have on reducing the mobility footprint has not been thoroughly explored. The global mobility system cannot function without adequate Materiel Handling Equipment (MHE). MHE of the future must be multi-purpose in design and should able to support multiple weapon systems. In addition, it will require less maintenance and be easier to deploy thus making air mobility operations more responsive to customer needs. Current MHE is old and labor intensive. The Air Mobility Command's (AMC's) small loaders, especially 25K loaders, are in very poor condition and are incapable of servicing KC-1Os and …

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The Influence Of Framing Effects On Perceived Ease Of Use, Perceived Usefulness, And Behavioral Intention In Information Technology Systems, Jon C. Autrey Mar 2001

The Influence Of Framing Effects On Perceived Ease Of Use, Perceived Usefulness, And Behavioral Intention In Information Technology Systems, Jon C. Autrey

Theses and Dissertations

Every year the Department of Defense spends millions of dollars on the purchase of new computer equipment. There is some question as to the necessity of the amount of this spending. This thesis looks at the use of information framing to influence users' perceptions of information technology using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). TAM does this hy measuring users' perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and behavioral intention toward a computer. An experiment was conducted by framing information about the technology level of two computers. Users' perceptions about using those systems were then collected using the TAM construct measuring instruments. …

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An Evaluation Of Information Technology (It) Outsourcing Determinants Within The Department Of Defense (Dod), Alexander J. Barelka Mar 2001

An Evaluation Of Information Technology (It) Outsourcing Determinants Within The Department Of Defense (Dod), Alexander J. Barelka

Theses and Dissertations

Each year the Department of Defense (DoD) spends billions of dollars on information technology (IT) outsourcing. However, little formal or academic guidance has appeared that explains how, why, or even when this occurs. This study presents and evaluates several determinants that may impact a decision to outsource information technology systems in the Department of Defense. It begins with the development of a conceptual model, which was created using semi-structured interviews and an extensive literature search. This model was then matured into an analytic version by using the Delphi method, which is an accepted methodology to use when insufficient or no …

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Development Of A Decision Framework For Knowledge Management Projects, William D. Bower Mar 2001

Development Of A Decision Framework For Knowledge Management Projects, William D. Bower

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force resources are being committed to fund, implement, and support organizational knowledge management initiatives without any overarching Air Force Knowledge Vision or Knowledge Strategy to guide these efforts. The purpose of this research is to provide a framework model and framework implementation process that can be used to guide the identification, selection, and eventual implementation of Air Force knowledge management projects. An initial Literature Review was conducted and the findings were used to develop a framework model to guide the identification and selection of appropriate knowledge management initiatives that are consistent with organizational strategy and strategic objectives. Next, a …

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The Effect Of Improving The Logistics Pipeline On Supply Support Of Aerospace Expeditionary Forces, Steven L. Martinez Mar 2001

The Effect Of Improving The Logistics Pipeline On Supply Support Of Aerospace Expeditionary Forces, Steven L. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

One of the biggest considerations for an Aerospace Expeditionary Force (AEF), in terms of cost and airlift requirement, is the use of aircraft spares kits to support combat operations. To date, these kits are built on the assumption that there would be no resupply for the first 30 days of a contingency. However, with more efficient transportation and information resources available today, it seems logical that resupply would occur much more quickly. If so, the Air Force should be able to trim its wartime stocks of aircraft spares. This thesis investigated the effect of improving the logistics pipeline on the …

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Factors Influencing Air Force Members' Tolerance Of Fraternization, Amanda G. Brandau Mar 2001

Factors Influencing Air Force Members' Tolerance Of Fraternization, Amanda G. Brandau

Theses and Dissertations

AFI 36-2909, provides the current policy on acceptable and unacceptable social interactions between Air Force members. The intent of distinguishing relationships as professional or unprofessional is to preserve proper respect for authority and maintain focus on the mission through professional relationships while avoiding the negative effects of unprofessional relationships. Fraternization is one unacceptable type, which governs relationships between officers and enlisted members. There have long been differences between official policy and actual practice in the area of fraternization. These differences likely influence the acceptance of existing policy, and the amount of tolerance toward behaviors that Air Force policy would consider …

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Capturing The Policy That Air Force Raters Use When Writing Performance Appraisals On Junior Officers, Owen D. Stephens Mar 2001

Capturing The Policy That Air Force Raters Use When Writing Performance Appraisals On Junior Officers, Owen D. Stephens

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between four dimensions of performance leadership, task performance, interpersonal facilitation, and job dedication and overall performance by junior officers in the Air Force. It was hypothesized that the four dimensions would have different relative importance to overall performance, ratee gender would have no effect on rating policy, and raters with greater experience would show greater rating consistency. Finally, it was hypothesized that the Conscientiousness factor of the International Personality Inventory Protocol and Positive and Negative Affectivity may be correlated with the relative importance of the four dimensions of performance and a rater leniency measure and …

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A Critical Analysis Of The Air Force's International Merchant Purchase Authorization Card (Impac) Program, Roy D. Thrailkill Mar 2001

A Critical Analysis Of The Air Force's International Merchant Purchase Authorization Card (Impac) Program, Roy D. Thrailkill

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force (USAF) purchased over $ 1.3 billion worth of goods and services with the IMPAC in fiscal year (FY) 2000 alone. The proliferation of the IMPAC has changed the way organizations procure goods and services and empowered them with a tool to increase their procurement flexibility and responsiveness. These benefits have been accompanied by regulatory and procedural constraints that have presented challenges to key participants of this streamlined purchase process. This thesis addresses documented deviations of the IMPAC program's execution from its theoretical design. It describes the structure of the IMPAC program, analyzes the execution of …

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A Method For Fms Countries To Maximize Clssa Service Levels While Minimizing Costs Through Optimal Requisitioning Patterns, Robert A. Wasik Mar 2001

A Method For Fms Countries To Maximize Clssa Service Levels While Minimizing Costs Through Optimal Requisitioning Patterns, Robert A. Wasik

Theses and Dissertations

The Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Arrangement (CLSSA) is a program designed to provide follow-on supply support for weapon systems procured by foreign military sales (FMS) countries from the United States. CLSSA calculates a Stock Level Quantity (SLQ) for each item based on demand history, item lead-time, and requisitioning patterns. Item SLQs affects program cost and service levels to FMS customers; a high SLQ level improves service levels, but also creates higher costs. The author created a model to replicate the CLSSA formulation used to calculate SLQs, using different Combinations of demand levels and item lead-times to determine the impact that …

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The Distributer's Three-Dimensional Pallet-Packing Problem: A Human Intelligence-Based Heuristic Approach, Erhan Baltacioglu Mar 2001

The Distributer's Three-Dimensional Pallet-Packing Problem: A Human Intelligence-Based Heuristic Approach, Erhan Baltacioglu

Theses and Dissertations

The Distributor's Pallet Packing Problem is to load a set of distinct boxes with given dimensions on pallets or in containers to maximize volume utilization. This problem is still in its early stages of research, but there is a high level of interest in developing effective models to solve this NP-hard problem to reduce the time, energy and other resources spent in packing pallets. In its search to improve operations, the Air Force is also making an effort to solve this problem. Building an analytical model and developing a genetic algorithm approach have been tried, but the problem needs more …

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Dollarizing Qualitative Discriminators Used In Best Value Source Selections, Jason R. Borchers Mar 2001

Dollarizing Qualitative Discriminators Used In Best Value Source Selections, Jason R. Borchers

Theses and Dissertations

With the decreasing budget that gets allocated to the Department of Defense each year, the government needs to be able to acquire more with less. This has a direct impact on how source selections are conducted. This research proposes a method using four different levels of cost that will provide the government with the best overall value in the conduction of source selections. This differs from previous source selections, because source selection teams, in general, only considered proposal price in their evaluation.

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Development Of An Instrument To Identify Unique Supply Officer Knowledge, Christopher A. Boone Mar 2001

Development Of An Instrument To Identify Unique Supply Officer Knowledge, Christopher A. Boone

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force supply officers possess a unique body of knowledge. This unique body of supply officer knowledge is an Air Force intellectual asset. The value of these intellectual assets depends on the value created by the application of the organization's knowledge and the value his knowledge creates. This thesis establishes a process for measuring the value created by unique supply officer knowledge. The first step in the methodology is to identify mandatory supply knowledge. This was accomplished through review of Air Force guidance and se of a knowledge audit questionnaire. The knowledge audit provides a means for assessing what knowledge …

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Logistics Transformation: Centralizing Air Force Logistics Information Command And Control, Darrell O. Burghard Mar 2001

Logistics Transformation: Centralizing Air Force Logistics Information Command And Control, Darrell O. Burghard

Theses and Dissertations

Current Air Force logistics information systems do not provide Air Force leaders and single managers a real-time sole-source logistics information system able to assess current capabilities and identify potential future problem items prior to becoming systemic problem parts. Centralizing information may provide improved command and control and support of the warfighter by reducing the time it takes to track down and identify information. Using a Value Focused Thinking approach, this thesis explored how the Air Force can improve the accessibility of Air Force logistics information. This study began at the behest of the AFMC LG/CD in an effort to determine …

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Aircraft Maintenance Performance: The Effects Of The Functional Decentralization Of On-Equipment Maintenance, Mark A. Commenator Mar 2001

Aircraft Maintenance Performance: The Effects Of The Functional Decentralization Of On-Equipment Maintenance, Mark A. Commenator

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force has implemented various aircraft maintenance organizational structures. The implementation of the Objective Wing in the early 1990s was the latest occurrence of reorganization. This research looks at the effect of the type of aircraft maintenance organizational structure on aircraft maintenance performance. The type of organizational structure was defined by the functional centralization of the on-equipment maintenance. Aircraft maintenance performance was measured using TNMCM rates, fix rates, repeat/recur rates, man-hours per flying hour, and scheduling effectiveness rates. Three F-15 wings and three F-16 wings were selected to compare the changes in aircraft maintenance performance and to determine if …

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An Investigation Of The Contracting Officer Career Pyramid, William B. Elyea Mar 2001

An Investigation Of The Contracting Officer Career Pyramid, William B. Elyea

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force contracting officers rely on published guidance to assist in establishing their career objectives. This thesis uses empirical data to evaluate the published Air Force career guidance. The data set is comprised of complete duty histories from all active duty colonels, colonel selects, and general officers in the contracting career field. The guidance implies a career path to an exceptional career but provides no empirical validation. This thesis follows a rigorous procedure to objectively evaluate the Air Force guidance. The guidance is translated into 18 research questions based on its main tenets. Each duty occurrence is categorized by type …

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Estimating Deployed Airlift And Equipment Requirements For F-16 Aircraft In Support Of The Advanced Logistics Project, Matthew W. Goddard Mar 2001

Estimating Deployed Airlift And Equipment Requirements For F-16 Aircraft In Support Of The Advanced Logistics Project, Matthew W. Goddard

Theses and Dissertations

The Advanced Logistics Project (ALP) is a 5-year DARPA effort to investigate automated architectures to increase the efficiency of logistics support for deploying combat forces. The Mission-Resource Value Assessment Tool (M-R VAT) is a joint AFIT/AFRL adjunct processor to the ALP. The purpose of the M-R VAT is to select optimal force packages to meet the needs of theater commanders. This research supports the development of the M-R VAT's capability through the development of an airlift estimation function and validating equipment requirement rule-sets. This airlift estimation function will allow the M-R VAT optimization algorithms to constrain the selection of the …

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