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Air Force Institute of Technology
Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering
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Articles 1 - 30 of 44
Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Air Force Project Risk Management – The Impact Of Inconsistent Processes, Eric J. Perez
Air Force Project Risk Management – The Impact Of Inconsistent Processes, Eric J. Perez
Theses and Dissertations
On the surface, the majority of Air Force units appear to be executing some form of project risk management (PRM). Deeper investigation exposes many of the PRM practices currently in place to often be ad hoc, and as such, have the potential to poorly inform decisions when risk data is escalated to the enterprise levels of the Air Force. Resultantly, there is inconsistency between the PRM processes practiced by Air Force units. This inconsistency is an indication of risk mishandling at the project level and erroneous risk data provided at the enterprise levels of the Air Force. It may be …
Application Of Executable Architecture In Early Concept Evaluation Using The Dod Architecture Framework, Zhongwang Chua
Application Of Executable Architecture In Early Concept Evaluation Using The Dod Architecture Framework, Zhongwang Chua
Theses and Dissertations
The increasing complexity in the development of today's modern warfighting systems demands a systematic evaluation approach in the assessment of the envisaged capability and estimating the cost effectiveness, especially in the early stages of Concept Development. This research focused on the development of early Concept evaluation methodology through the use of Executable Architecture (EA) through the System Architecting process. Particularly, the methodology was applied in the assessment of a proposed Multi-tiered Unmanned Aircraft System System-of-System that is designed provide target acquisition and conduct dynamic strike on Theater Ballistic Missile launchers. Through the implementation of the evaluation methodology using dynamic modeling …
Evaluation Of The Impact Of An Additive Manufacturing Enhanced Cubesat Architecture On The Cubesat Development Process, Rachel E. Sharples
Evaluation Of The Impact Of An Additive Manufacturing Enhanced Cubesat Architecture On The Cubesat Development Process, Rachel E. Sharples
Theses and Dissertations
Additive manufacturing (AM) is a fabrication method ideally suited to low-quantity, highly customized builds, leading to interest in its application to satellite development and manufacturing, where each build is unique. Due to the issues of long development schedules and high development and manufacturing costs, methods are needed in the CubeSat development process to reduce the weight and volume of subsystems and decrease integration time. The work develops an architecture for an AM-augmented CubeSat and examines the AM techniques of embedded electronics, embedded thrusters, and custom radiation-hardened materials can impact the subsystems of a CubeSat. The AM-augmented architecture shows a shift …
Conceptual Architecture To Measure The Effects Of Subauroral Polarization Streams On Radar Operations, Shayla K. Redmond
Conceptual Architecture To Measure The Effects Of Subauroral Polarization Streams On Radar Operations, Shayla K. Redmond
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis provides the initial conceptual development of taking into account subauroral polarization streams when preparing for a radar operation. The DoDAF views created to portray the architecture consisted of operational, capabilities, data and information, and finally system views to ensure consistency and realistic outcomes. OV-2 was the significant view because it set the baseline for required actions necessary for the proposed results the Flow Integration of Ionospheric Activity and Radar Evaluation (FIIARE) system would produce. FIIARE is a computer based system concept that performs consolidations and produce predictions using algorithms from the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI). The data portrayed …
An Examination Of Commercial Motor Vehicle Hours Of Service Safety Regulation, Jason R. Anderson
An Examination Of Commercial Motor Vehicle Hours Of Service Safety Regulation, Jason R. Anderson
Theses and Dissertations
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) stipulates Hours of Service (HOS) regulations in order to minimize or eliminate fatigued truck driving, a major cause of truck-related accidents. This research examines the efficacy of HOS with three unique research approaches: 1) a typology classification model to indicate differences in HOS regulation from other safety regulations, 2) an exhaustive enumeration method utilizing the theoretical foundation of perishable inventory theory, and 3) a statistical analysis on accidents caused by or involving truck drivers. This research provides insight into similar Air Force Instructions regarding flight-time restrictions for pilots, which attempt to prevent flying …
Efficient Employment Of Large Format Sensor Data Transfer Architectures, Jeffrey R. Oltmanns
Efficient Employment Of Large Format Sensor Data Transfer Architectures, Jeffrey R. Oltmanns
Theses and Dissertations
Due to the increasing quantity of data collected by Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets and the focus on timely access to the data collected by these systems, operational data transfer network architectures have become a critical component of their employment in the intelligence production process. Efficient utilization of the provided long-haul communications component of the ISR system improves the value of the single asset to the warfighter and enables connectivity of additional assets via the data transfer network architecture. This research effort focused on the creation and implementation of a structured test design methodology based on the …
Using Approximate Dynamic Programming To Solve The Stochastic Demand Military Inventory Routing Problem With Direct Delivery, Ethan L. Salgado
Using Approximate Dynamic Programming To Solve The Stochastic Demand Military Inventory Routing Problem With Direct Delivery, Ethan L. Salgado
Theses and Dissertations
A brigade combat team must resupply forward operating bases (FOBs) within its area of operations from a central location, mainly via ground convoy operations, in a way that closely resembles vendor managed inventory practices. Military logisticians routinely decide when and how much inventory to distribute to each FOB. Technology currently exists that makes utilizing cargo unmanned aerial vehicles (CUAVs) for resupply an attractive alternative due to the dangers of utilizing convoy operations. However, enemy actions, austere conditions, and inclement weather pose a significant risk to a CUAV's ability to safely deliver supplies to a FOB. We develop a Markov decision …
Heterogeneous Air Defense Battery Location: A Game Theoretic Approach, Nicholas T. Boardman
Heterogeneous Air Defense Battery Location: A Game Theoretic Approach, Nicholas T. Boardman
Theses and Dissertations
The Unites States and its allies confront a persistent and evolving threat from missile attacks as nations around the world continue to invest and advance their current capabilities. Within the air defense context of a missile-and-interceptor engagement, a challenge for the defender is that surface to air interceptor missile batteries often must be located to protect high-value targets dispersed over a vast area, subject to an attacker observing the disposition of batteries prior to developing and implementing an attack plan. To model this scenario, we formulate a two-player, three-stage, perfect information, sequential move, zero-sum game that accounts for, respectively, a …
Contingency Workload Demand Forecast Techniques For Cargo And Flying Hours, Calvin J. Bradshaw Iii
Contingency Workload Demand Forecast Techniques For Cargo And Flying Hours, Calvin J. Bradshaw Iii
Theses and Dissertations
Accurate forecasting of contingency workload demand for USTRANSCOM (USTC) is a herculean effort. Transportation Working Capital Fund (TWCF) managers rely on various subject matters outside and within the combatant command to estimate future workload. Since rates are set annually, when TWCF activities use incorrect or incomplete projections of workload, this leads to erroneous price structures and misaligned customer billing rates. The USTC leadership lacks the ability to accurately forecast workload demand, which is a key driver for service provider rate-setting. As a result, some customers perceive spiked rates and seek service from other competitors, which generates lost revenue, customer dissatisfaction …
Determination Of Fire Control Policies Via Approximate Dynamic Programming, Michael T. Davis
Determination Of Fire Control Policies Via Approximate Dynamic Programming, Michael T. Davis
Theses and Dissertations
Given the ubiquitous nature of both offensive and defensive missile systems, the catastrophe-causing potential they represent, and the limited resources available to countries for missile defense, optimizing the defensive response to a missile attack is a necessary endeavor. For a single salvo of offensive missiles launched at a set of targets, a missile defense system protecting those targets must decide how many interceptors to fire at each incoming missile. Since such missile engagements often involve the firing of more than one attack salvo, we develop a Markov decision process (MDP) model to examine the optimal fire control policy for the …
The Impact Of Reducing Full Time Support Positions In The U.S. Army National Guard And Reserves, Lucas J. Lease
The Impact Of Reducing Full Time Support Positions In The U.S. Army National Guard And Reserves, Lucas J. Lease
Theses and Dissertations
The United States Army is at a point in its history in which it, along with the other branches of the military, are experiencing cuts, constraints and a tightening of resources. The days of seemingly large budgets, abundant financial resources and high amounts of manpower are becoming a thing of the past. As the government reduces the allocations to the military, it is examining ways to reduce costs and improve its financial prospects. One of the positions examined for reduction or outright elimination is the full time support position in the U.S. Army National Guard (ARNG) and Reserves (USAR). The …
Methods To Address Extreme Class Imbalance In Machine Learning Based Network Intrusion Detection Systems, Russell W. Walter
Methods To Address Extreme Class Imbalance In Machine Learning Based Network Intrusion Detection Systems, Russell W. Walter
Theses and Dissertations
Despite the considerable academic interest in using machine learning methods to detect cyber attacks and malicious network traffic, there is little evidence that modern organizations employ such systems. Due to the targeted nature of attacks and cybercriminals’ constantly changing behavior, valid observations of attack traffic suitable for training a classifier are extremely rare. Rare positive cases combined with the fact that the overwhelming majority of network traffic is benign create an extreme class imbalance problem. Using publically available datasets, this research examines the class imbalance problem by using small samples of the attack observations to create multiple training sets that …
Long-Term Impacts Of Military Drawdown On The Industrial Base, Anton H. Martyn
Long-Term Impacts Of Military Drawdown On The Industrial Base, Anton H. Martyn
Theses and Dissertations
Since World War II, competition in the defense industry has fallen by over 90 percent. Over half of contracts currently executed by the United States Navy and Air Force are awarded without any competition. With the recent defense budget cuts, and an extended period of reduced defense spending ahead, more of which is going to sustainment and overhead than ever before, each year prime contractors are fighting over an even smaller piece of the procurement pie, which could have a deleterious effect on national security if these contractors go out of business or further consolidate through mergers. This study used …
Rate Setting Analysis: A Statistical Approach To Outlier Analysis In The Rate Setting Process Within The United States Transportation Command, Warren B. Mcgriff
Rate Setting Analysis: A Statistical Approach To Outlier Analysis In The Rate Setting Process Within The United States Transportation Command, Warren B. Mcgriff
Theses and Dissertations
The rate setting process implemented by the USTRANSCOM J8 Program Analysis & Financial Management Directorate (USTC J8 or TCJ8) is of importance, as accurate rates yield proper and equitable recoupment of costs from customers and ensure USTC can achieve an accurate Net Operating Result (NOR) in each given year. This research sought to identify areas in which the current rate setting methodology can be improved. We initially examined the use of six months of historical cost data versus a full year of data to set rates, concluding that there is not a statistically significant difference with respect to their relative …
Using Multiple Objective Decision Analysis To Position Federal Product And Service Codes Within The Kraljic Portfolio Matrix, Robert T. Montgomery
Using Multiple Objective Decision Analysis To Position Federal Product And Service Codes Within The Kraljic Portfolio Matrix, Robert T. Montgomery
Theses and Dissertations
Despite the best efforts of the Federal Government to implement strategic sourcing, recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports highlight major procurement deficiencies and encourage the use of commercial best practices to identify and reap substantial savings. The Kraljic Portfolio Matrix (KPM) is considered the premier tool for purchasing organizations to determine which commercial best practices to utilize for different categories of spend. However, critics of the KPM point to its lack of analytical rigor and the absence of a simplistic quantitative methodology for implementation. The Air Force Installation Contracting Agency (AFICA), the centralized procurement arm for 79 USAF installations worldwide, …
Sortie Generation Simulation Of A Fighter Squadron, Abdurrahman Sevimli
Sortie Generation Simulation Of A Fighter Squadron, Abdurrahman Sevimli
Theses and Dissertations
The Turkish Air Force utilizes several fighter squadrons to enhance its military capabilities. One of the most critical challenges for these squadrons is generating sorties to meet the currency and demand during both peacetime and wartime. This sortie generation process directly affects the success of both training and operations. In this study, this process is assessed using a discrete event simulation. Air Force decision makers require a simulation tool to conduct “what-if” analysis on how potential changes in the environment affect an F-16 fighter squadron’s sortie generation process. Creating a usable simulation provides decision makers with a flexible tool to …
Measuring The Effectiveness Of Us Military Humanitarian Construction Projects Through Geospatial Analysis Of Public Opinion In Belize, Arthur Z. Dietrich
Measuring The Effectiveness Of Us Military Humanitarian Construction Projects Through Geospatial Analysis Of Public Opinion In Belize, Arthur Z. Dietrich
Theses and Dissertations
As part of broader US foreign policy efforts the Department of Defense (DoD) increasingly conducts complex operations which focus on efforts to influence local populations. These \hearts and minds" operations often include humanitarian and development construction projects. The wider impact on US foreign policy effort from the US military's participation in projects traditionally conducted by civilian agencies is not well understood. This research examined the effects on local public opinion from two US Air Force led \Operation New Horizons" Humanitarian and Civic Assistance (HCA) missions conducted in the nation of Belize in 2013 and 2014. The study specifically looked for …
Determining Air Base Installation Capacity Through Multivariate Analysis, Perry L. Cansick
Determining Air Base Installation Capacity Through Multivariate Analysis, Perry L. Cansick
Theses and Dissertations
Per the Air Force Strategic Master Plan, the Air Force will adjust their current basing structure to provide the most effective and efficient installations to support national defense objectives. The Air Force may be required to make strategic basing decisions that close installations and relocate missions to achieve an optimal basing structure. However, before making these decisions, the Air Force needs to have a comprehensive understanding of installation capacity. This research provides an operational definition of installation capacity, which is necessary for measuring installation-level, infrastructure capacity. Using this definition, the research evaluates a set of capacity indicators using principal component …
Lifecycle Cost Evaluation Of Flexible Facility Designs, Trevor P. Ellis
Lifecycle Cost Evaluation Of Flexible Facility Designs, Trevor P. Ellis
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this research is to ascertain the type of facility design, standard, robust, or flexible, that yields the greatest lower lifecycle costs (LCC) savings to the USAF. To this aim, the researcher constructed a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the LCC for flexible, robust, and standard administrative facility designs for thousands of potential facility lifecycles. The simulation also illustrates the circumstances under which each type of design would result in the lowest LCC. The results of this research will show the USAF the importance of focusing on LCC and designing flexible facilities. Standard and robust designs are the …
The Efficacy Of Implementing A Small, Low-Cost, Real Time Kinematic Gps System Into A Small Unmanned Aerial System Architecture, Kevin J. Hendricks
The Efficacy Of Implementing A Small, Low-Cost, Real Time Kinematic Gps System Into A Small Unmanned Aerial System Architecture, Kevin J. Hendricks
Theses and Dissertations
Along with the growing uses for small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) within the Department of Defense (DoD), is the utility of small UAS within the civilian market is also increasing. This has led to significant research and development on small UAS subsystems by the commercial market. The focus of this research is characterizing and investigating the application considerations of a small, low-cost real time kinematic (RTK) GPS receiver system. Work was also accomplished to characterize the accuracy and precision of the commonly used GPS receiver subsystem in small UAS to show the increased utility of the RTK GPS system. The …
Additive Manufacturing Process Parameter Effects On The Mechanical Properties Of Fused Filament Fabrication Nylon, Eric S. Holm
Additive Manufacturing Process Parameter Effects On The Mechanical Properties Of Fused Filament Fabrication Nylon, Eric S. Holm
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this research was to determine how varying Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) process parameters affect the mechanical properties of PA6 nylon dog-bone specimens produced on the Mark One 3D Printer. A design of experiment (DOE) was conducted using the factors of layer height and raster angle orientation. The mechanical properties measured in the experiment were tensile modulus, yield stress, percent strain at yield, ultimate tensile strength and percent strain at break. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to identify which factors were statistically significant in influencing mechanical properties. Results of the ANOVA showed that layer height was …
Analysis Of Inpatient Hospital Staff Mental Workload By Means Of Discrete-Event Simulation, Erich W. Maxheimer
Analysis Of Inpatient Hospital Staff Mental Workload By Means Of Discrete-Event Simulation, Erich W. Maxheimer
Theses and Dissertations
Many process improvement tools have been applied to the healthcare industry to improve safety and efficiency. However, nearly all of these tools have neglected to explicitly quantify mental workload of healthcare providers despite the consensus that it is related to human performance. This research uses the Improved Performance Research Integration Tool (IMPRINT), a discrete-event simulation (DES), to quantify mental workload. Specifically, this research examines staff members in an inpatient unit at the Wright-Patterson Medical Center to detect workload differences between staff, identify trends which lead to high workload demands, evaluate the influence of patient load on mental workload, and test …
Application Of System Engineering Leading Indicators To Scrum Agile Projects, Eric M. Shirley
Application Of System Engineering Leading Indicators To Scrum Agile Projects, Eric M. Shirley
Theses and Dissertations
SCRUM Agile metrics and System Engineering Leading Indicators (SE LIs) are measures used to evaluate the effectiveness and performance of a project across its lifecycle. The application of metrics can provide information on both internal resources and external project stakeholder requirements and constraints, showing past changes, trends, and potential future impacts. Both SCRUM Agile and SE LIs are designed to give a systems engineer/project manager insight into development progress allowing for progress to be checked at regular intervals as well as early corrective actions to be taken if necessary. This research applied SE LIs to a SCRUM Agile project to …
Improving System Design Through The Integration Of Human Systems And Systems Engineering Models, Michael E. Watson
Improving System Design Through The Integration Of Human Systems And Systems Engineering Models, Michael E. Watson
Theses and Dissertations
The human is a critical aspect of many systems, but frequently there is a failure to properly account for human capabilities and involvement during system design. This inattention results in systems with higher lifecycle costs, decreased user compatibility, and the potential to produce disastrous consequences. This research presents an approach to integrating the human into system models by using two methods: static and dynamic modeling. The static method uses a user-centered design framework to create system- and human-centered models that deconstruct the system and user into their respective components. These models are integrated to create system models that include relevant …
A Time-Variant Value-Focused Methodology For Supporting Pre-Acquisition, Brian K. Scheller
A Time-Variant Value-Focused Methodology For Supporting Pre-Acquisition, Brian K. Scheller
Theses and Dissertations
Military operations are dynamic in nature, as time-dependent requirements or adversary actions can contribute to differing levels of mission performance among systems. Future military operations commonly use multi-criteria decision analysis techniques that rely on value-focused thinking (VFT) to analyze and ultimately rank alternatives during the Analysis of Alternatives phase of the acquisition process. Traditional VFT approaches are not typically employed with the intention of analyzing time-variant performance of alternatives. In this research, a holistic approach towards integrating fundamental practices such as VFT, systems architecture, and modeling and simulation is used to analyze time-dependent data outputs of an alternative’s performance within …
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Uav) Operators’ Workload Reduction: The Effect Of 3d Audio On Operators’ Workload And Performance During Multi-Aircraft Control, Sungbin Kim
Theses and Dissertations
The importance and number of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations are rapidly growing in both military and civilian applications. This growth has produced significant manpower issues, producing a desire that multiple aircraft are controlled by a single operator as opposed to the current model where one aircraft may require multiple operators. A potential issue is the need for an operator to monitor radio traffic for the call signs of multi-aircraft. An investigation of the use of 3D sound was undertaken to investigate whether an automatic parser, which preselected the spatial location of relevant versus irrelevant call signs, could aid UAV …
Modeling And Economy’S Dynamics And External Influences Through A System Of Differential Equations, Thomas M. Dickey
Modeling And Economy’S Dynamics And External Influences Through A System Of Differential Equations, Thomas M. Dickey
Theses and Dissertations
This research proposes a methodology to develop models for the greater understanding of the application of the economic instrument of national power through a selection of factors that define the economic condition of a country. The major components of an economy are identified as GDP per capita, a treasury bond yield, and a major stock market index. The components have interconnected dynamics along with external influences from the United Stated Federal Funds Rate and foreign direct investment. These connections are considered through a metamodel in the form of a system of differential equations which is solved as an inverse problem. …
An Examination Of Economic Metrics As Indicators Of Air Force Retention, Helen L. Jantscher
An Examination Of Economic Metrics As Indicators Of Air Force Retention, Helen L. Jantscher
Theses and Dissertations
Fluctuations in the economy can cause military recruitment and retention plans to go awry. By focusing on various economic metrics, it is possible to anticipate changes in retention rates for specific Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSCs). To address the challenge of maintaining a robust and mission capable Air Force, a correlation analysis is employed to determine the relationship between certain economic indicators and AFSC retention rates. As one might suspect, retention rates follow the trend of decreasing when the economy is strong. Of interest, we found two AFSCs which go against this trend. Namely, the retention rates for officers in …
Application Of Non-Rated Line Officer Attrition Levels And Career Field Stability, Christine L. Zens
Application Of Non-Rated Line Officer Attrition Levels And Career Field Stability, Christine L. Zens
Theses and Dissertations
The Air Force monitors the strength of its active duty officer force and attempts to achieve the difficult challenge of employing a diversity of talent among career specialties and experience levels. This study completes two objectives, predicting future manning levels for 23 career fields, and providing a statistical framework to assess the stability of these fields. The first part of the study applies regression and survival analysis to subpopulations within the active duty Air Force officer corps, and then aggregates them by year to forecast future personnel levels. Four career fields are considered, including Acquisitions (ACQ), Logistics (LOG), Support (SPT), …
Simulation Of Modeling Sortie Generation Process In Turaf, Bahadir Aykiri
Simulation Of Modeling Sortie Generation Process In Turaf, Bahadir Aykiri
Theses and Dissertations
Simulation is a useful technique for engineers and operations researchers. One of the primary advantages of simulation models is that they are able to provide users with practical feedback when analyzing real-world systems. This thesis builds a discrete event simulation of the sortıe generatıon process, to help decision makers in performing analyses regarding quantity of manpower, bottlenecks in supply and maintenance activities; as well as utilization of maintenance manpower, cost and number of sorties produced in a specific time. We only model one aircraft system with four Line Replacement Units (LRU), but any system and its LRUs can be included …