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Air Force Institute of Technology

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Articles 841 - 870 of 1238

Full-Text Articles in Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering

Evaluation Of Strategy-Structure Fit Of Space And Missile Systems Center Detachment 11, Tommy M. Gates Mar 2001

Evaluation Of Strategy-Structure Fit Of Space And Missile Systems Center Detachment 11, Tommy M. Gates

Theses and Dissertations

Activated June 1,1998, Space and Missile Systems Center Detachment 11, located in Colorado Springs, integrates system support management for the Satellite Launch Control System (SLCS), MlLSTAR, the Defense Meteorological Support Program (DMSP), the Space Based Infrared System (SBlRSl, and the Global Positioning System (GPS). The Detachment performs operational software maintenance, satellite systems engineering, space testing and evaluation, and technology master planning. Contemporary management theory asserts that the appropriate match of strategy and structure determines an organization's level of performance. The Detachment is currently organized programmatically. The current programmatic organizational structure represents the physical manifestation of the Integrated Weapon System Management …

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Influence Of Personality Type And Anonymity On Participation In A Group Support System, Robert E. Hartmann Mar 2001

Influence Of Personality Type And Anonymity On Participation In A Group Support System, Robert E. Hartmann

Theses and Dissertations

A group support system (GSS) uses a combination of networked personal computers, software that collects, manipulates, and aggregates member's individual input, and human facilitation to improve the group decision-making process. A GSS has been promoted as a means of improving the quantity and quality of ideas within a decision-making meeting. Research into GSS has focused on the benefits of providing anonymity to improve participation. Anonymity in a GSS meeting has been offered as a means to improve participation, which in turn improves decision quality. To date this has not been proven through research. In fact, there is conflicting evidence as …

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An Analysis Of The Acquisition Process For Simplified Acquisition Of Base Engineering Requirements (Saber) Contracts And Its Potential Impact On Contractor Performance, Brian J. Heaps Mar 2001

An Analysis Of The Acquisition Process For Simplified Acquisition Of Base Engineering Requirements (Saber) Contracts And Its Potential Impact On Contractor Performance, Brian J. Heaps

Theses and Dissertations

The Simplified Acquisition of Base Engineering Requirements (SABER) contract's main purpose is to expedite contract award of civil engineer requirements through the issuance of individual delivery orders. The contract contains a collection of detailed task specifications that include most types of real property maintenance, repair, and construction work. The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition's Operational Contracting Division (SAF/AQCO) identified a number of failed SABER contracts. The problem statement designed for this research effort was: There are a large number of SABER contractors that are failing during the performance period on their SABER contracts. SAF/AQCO is trying to …

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Utility Of Experimental Design In Automatic Target Recognition Performance Evaluation, James M. Higdon Mar 2001

Utility Of Experimental Design In Automatic Target Recognition Performance Evaluation, James M. Higdon

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates current practices in test and evaluation of classification algorithms, and recommends improvements. We scrutinize the evaluation of automatic target recognition algorithms and rationalize the potential for improvements in the accepted methodology. We propose improvements through the use of an experimental design approach to testing. We demonstrate the benefits of improvements by simulating algorithm performance data and using both methodologies to generate evaluation results. The simulated data is varied to test the sensitivity of the benefits to a broad set of outcomes. The opportunities for improvement are threefold. First, the current practice of 'one-at-a-time factor variation (only one …

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Weapon System Environmental Life Cycle Cost Methodologies And Models, William H. Kale Iii Mar 2001

Weapon System Environmental Life Cycle Cost Methodologies And Models, William H. Kale Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAP) cost billions of dollars and have 30 to 50 year life spans. Numerous (federal, state, etc.) laws, Environmental Protection Agency regulations, and Executive Orders have driven DoD to develop and implement significant environmental policies within the past ten to fifteen years. Congressional mandate now requires each MDAP to evaluate its environmental life cycle cost (ELCC) to minimize these costs. This research focuses on the current methodologies and models used to predict and calculate the ELCC of a MDAP. This thesis analyzed the difficulties associated with using ELCC methodologies and models and examined several case studies …

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A Delphi Assessment Of The Digital Rosetta Stone Model, Don M. Kelley Mar 2001

A Delphi Assessment Of The Digital Rosetta Stone Model, Don M. Kelley

Theses and Dissertations

Information that is stored digitally can only be used if it can be retrieved and interpreted. if the methods to retrieve the information are lost, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to recreate them. The knowledge to interpret the bitstream is also at risk. The Digital Rosetta Stone (DRS) Model was developed as a framework for capturing and maintaining the methods necessary to retrieve and display digital information stored on obsolete media or using obsolete software. However, this conceptual model had not yet been assessed by the community of professionals for its practical efficacy. This thesis began the assessment …

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Forecasting Readiness: Using Regression To Predict The Mission Capability Of Air Force F-16 Fighter Aircraft, Steven A. Oliver Mar 2001

Forecasting Readiness: Using Regression To Predict The Mission Capability Of Air Force F-16 Fighter Aircraft, Steven A. Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

According to many, the readiness of America's forces deteriorated in the 1990s. In the Air Force, the combat readiness of its fighter aircraft has declined. One of its indicators of combat readiness, the mission capable rate, is used to identify the percentage of aircraft unable to perform their missions. From FY94-FY98, the aggregate total not mission capable rate for maintenance steadily increased from 14% to 18.2% while total not mission capable rate for supply increased from 5.5% to 17.5% between FY86 and FY00. The USAF uses the funding/Availability Multi-Method Allocator for Spares model to forecast these rates for its aircraft. …

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The Effects Of Budgetary Constraints, Multiple Strategy Selection, And Rationality On Equilibrium Attainment In An Information Warfare Simulation, Steven W. Tait Mar 2001

The Effects Of Budgetary Constraints, Multiple Strategy Selection, And Rationality On Equilibrium Attainment In An Information Warfare Simulation, Steven W. Tait

Theses and Dissertations

Information warfare (IW) has developed into a significant threat to the national security of the United States. Our critical infrastructures, linked together by information systems, are increasingly vulnerable to information attack. This study seeks to understand some of those factors which affect the ability of an individual to make accurate decisions in an IW environment. The study used game theory to analyze the behavior of decision-makers within an IW simulation. The IW game model is based on a set of games known as infinitely repeated games of incomplete information. It uses the Bayesian Nash equilibrium concept to determine the strategy …

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A Verification And Validation Assessment Of Rapid Availability Prototyping For Testing Operational Readiness, Gurhan Tarman Mar 2001

A Verification And Validation Assessment Of Rapid Availability Prototyping For Testing Operational Readiness, Gurhan Tarman

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the world, new techniques are developed to test and evaluate systems. The Department of Defense and the US Air Force conduct numerous studies into the reliability and maintainability of current and future weapons systems in an effort to understand the reliability, maintainability, and availability (RM&A) costs of these systems. Furthermore, they must verify RM&A characteristics of systems, which are still in the development phase. The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) is responsible for testing new equipment to ensure their RM&A characteristics meet specifications. Rapid Availability Prototyping for Testing Operational Readiness (RAPTOR) is the software tool developed …

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A Reactive Tabu Search Metaheuristic Extension Of The Air Refueling Tanker Assignment Problem, Umit Hilmi Tekelioglu Mar 2001

A Reactive Tabu Search Metaheuristic Extension Of The Air Refueling Tanker Assignment Problem, Umit Hilmi Tekelioglu

Theses and Dissertations

The Combined Mating and Ranging Planning System (CMARPS) is the system used by AMC to schedule air refueling for deployments from the continental U.S. to other parts of the world. The tool developed by Capehart (2000) got results similar to CMARPS in less time. Capehart's tool allows AMC to input several receiver groups consisting of various aircraft types and numbers. Each receiver group contains a point of origin and destination, with the option of providing one waypoint along the path, a ready to load date (RLD) and required delivery date (RDD). The user is also able to specify the locations …

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Minimum Distance Estimation For Time Series Analysis With Little Data, Hakan Tekin Mar 2001

Minimum Distance Estimation For Time Series Analysis With Little Data, Hakan Tekin

Theses and Dissertations

Minimum distance estimate is a statistical parameter estimate technique that selects model parameters that minimize a good-of-fit statistic. Minimum distance estimation has been demonstrated better standard approaches, including maximum likelihood estimators and least squares, in estimating statistical distribution parameters with very small data sets. This research applies minimum distance estimation to the task of making time series predictions with very few historical observations. In a Monte Carlo analysis, we test a variety of distance measures and report the results based on many different criteria. Our analysis tests the robustness of the approach by testing its ability to make predictions when …

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Gss Technology As A Moderator Of Influence And Perceived Expertise, Kevin V. Thompson Mar 2001

Gss Technology As A Moderator Of Influence And Perceived Expertise, Kevin V. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Group Support System (355) research has found this content and process anonymity influence problem solving groups. However, previous studies report mixed results on how OSS technology changes social influence processes and recognition of expertise which affect group performance. This thesis explored content and process anonymity's affect on influence and perceived expertise using three treatments to derive possible explanations for the mixed results found in previous GSS research. The study developed a theoretical model of influence, perceived expertise, and performance. Using structural equation modeling the study tested the relationships between expertise and participation rates, and overall group performance. An experiment 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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Technology Selection For Enhancing F-16 Capability: An Analysis Using Value Focused Thinking, Cihangir Yay Mar 2001

Technology Selection For Enhancing F-16 Capability: An Analysis Using Value Focused Thinking, Cihangir Yay

Theses and Dissertations

This study, with support of the Aeronautical Systems center, builds a scientific decision support system intended for Air Combat Command. Past decision-making techniques are discussed and their limitations are explained. Two multiattribute decision-making techniques, analytical hierarch process and value focused thinking, are studied. Due to limitations of analytical hierarchy process, value focused thinking is accepted as the best fit for our problem. A value hierarchy model is developed using value focused thinking for selecting the most beneficiary F-16 engine modifications depending on Air Combat Command values. Ten modifications are ranked using value model to validate the process. Cost is involved …

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Identifying Demand Indicators For Air Force Recruiting Service With Discriminant Analysis, Jason L. Williams Mar 2001

Identifying Demand Indicators For Air Force Recruiting Service With Discriminant Analysis, Jason L. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

A changing public disposition towards military service has all four military branches rethinking recruiting practices. This Air Force is reacting to this new recruiting climate by increasing the bonuses for new recruits, pumping up advertising budgets, and bolstering recruiting personnel levels. This thesis provides a new tool for assessing how to allocate these new resources. Discriminant Analysis is used to identify population characteristics that categorize recruiting locations. A methodology is constructed that can discriminate between communities where interest is high in military service and where recruiting efforts will not be productive.

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Routing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles While Considering General Restricted Operating Zones, Darin T. Brown Mar 2001

Routing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles While Considering General Restricted Operating Zones, Darin T. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

U.S. military forces employ unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to conduct intelligence-gathering missions worldwide. For a typical mission, commanders may task UAV operators to gather imagery on 100 or more sites or targets. UAV operators must quickly prepare mission plans that meet the needs of their commanders while dealing with real-world constraints such as time windows, site priorities, imagery requirements, UAVs with different capabilities (i.e. imagery equipment, speed, and range), and UAVs departing from different bases. Previous AFIT research provided the UAV Battlelab with a tool, AFIT Router, for generating high-quality routes to aid mission planning. This research enhances the AFIT …

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A Multi-Objective Decision Support Model For The Turkish Armed Forces Personnel Assignment System, Zubeyir Cimen Mar 2001

A Multi-Objective Decision Support Model For The Turkish Armed Forces Personnel Assignment System, Zubeyir Cimen

Theses and Dissertations

The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) assign more than 25,000 active duty personnel annually. TAF wants to obtain maximum utilization of its personnel by assigning the right person to the right job at the right time, To accomplish this task, decision-makers and personnel assignment staff should consider conflicting multiple objectives that create the widely known problem called "personnel assignment problem". To assist in this complicated task from a quantitative perspective, a preemptive goal programming approach was used to develop an integer programming (IP) model to capture the multiple objectives flexibly and interactively. A realistic size IP problem with random data was …

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An Identification And Discussion Of Key Success Factors In The Acquisition Of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (Cots-) Based Systems, John F. Corbett Mar 2001

An Identification And Discussion Of Key Success Factors In The Acquisition Of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (Cots-) Based Systems, John F. Corbett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore COTS-based systems as they are acquired by the Air Force. Current guidance related to the acquisition of COTS-based systems is explored. Based upon the literature reviewed, the research targeted the specific area of acquisition plans. A multiple case study of acquisition plans from several COTS-based systems was performed. Current guidance related to the acquisition plan has not been specifically tailored to COTS-based systems. The results of the analysis of the COTS-based systems showed that the use total ownership cost (TOC) and cost as an independent variable (CAIV) enabled a system to he …

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An Analysis Of Total System Performance Responsibility In Air Force Acquisitions, Christopher P. White Mar 2001

An Analysis Of Total System Performance Responsibility In Air Force Acquisitions, Christopher P. White

Theses and Dissertations

This research examined how well the goals and objectives of total system performance responsibility (TSPR) are being met. The research was sparked by the rise of implementing TSPR as an element of an acquisition strategy in many weapon and information systems. Acquisition professionals use TSPR to decrease total ownership cost, improve system performance, and optimize public-private support capabilities while maintaining operational flexibility. However, while the number of programs that use or plan to implement TSPR or some form of contractor support and sustainment continues to increase, little research has been conducted concerning the effectiveness of TSPR as an element of …

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A Force Structuring Model For A Moderately-Sized Nato Country, Hakan Bal Mar 2001

A Force Structuring Model For A Moderately-Sized Nato Country, Hakan Bal

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to develop a mathematical model which will aid the decision-makers of a moderately-sized NATO country to develop their future force structure composition. As the number of alternatives grows, and as the consequences become more important and more uncertain, the force structuring decision becomes increasingly difficult. The valuable lessons of past experience cannot be ignored. However, when one considers the high rotation rates of most countries' air forces, the rapid change in technology and the vast array of options available, even the most experienced leaders need some assistance. Hence, decision support tools are needed to …

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A Process For Vectoring Offensive Information Warfare As A Primary Weapon Option Within The United States Air Force, Sheila G. Bennett Mar 2001

A Process For Vectoring Offensive Information Warfare As A Primary Weapon Option Within The United States Air Force, Sheila G. Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

Consistently and comprehensively using Information Operations (IO) capabilities as primary weapon option within the Air Force is the next step to operationalizing IO within the Air Force. Doctrine and official guidance has set the variables of mission and concepts of operations, organizational structure, and IW players in place. The missing variable to operationalizing IO and probably the most difficult is the 'how' or process of the equation. This research will introduce a useable process that can be incorporated within the Air Force for integrating offensive IW activities into the current and given environment. The process is the basis for further …

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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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Award Term Incentive Contracting: An Investigation Of United States Air Force Strategic Purchasing, Rachael A. Harris Mar 2001

Award Term Incentive Contracting: An Investigation Of United States Air Force Strategic Purchasing, Rachael A. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

This research explored implementing a best commercial practice of establishing strategic purchasing relationships within the Department of Defense (DOD) procurement environment. The research was sparked by Air Force Material Command's (AFMC) instituting a commercial style acquisition strategy using an award term incentive on several programs. The award term incentive provides for extensions or reductions to the term of the contract based on contractors' level of performance. Forthcoming implementation of Air Force FAR supplement 5317.7X Incentive Term Extension, will likely increase the number of acquisitions using an award term incentive. Research findings indicate that management should consider expanding the AFMC award …

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Malicious Hackers: A Framework For Analysis And Case Study, Laura J. Kleen Mar 2001

Malicious Hackers: A Framework For Analysis And Case Study, Laura J. Kleen

Theses and Dissertations

Recent years have seen an increase in the number and severity of Information Operations (IO) attacks upon DoD resources. At a higher level, the US as a whole has come under cyber attack by individuals and groups seeking thrills, monetary gain, publicity for their causes, and myriad other goals. This effort develops a first cut model of individual hacker mentality that can be utilized to improve threat assessment, mitigate Information Assurance (IA) vulnerabilities, and improve risk assessment. Further, it is a first step toward automated characterization of Information Warfare (IW) attacks based upon hacker types. All hackers are not the …

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Using Statistical Process Control Methods To Classify Pilot Mental Workload, Terence Y. Kudo Mar 2001

Using Statistical Process Control Methods To Classify Pilot Mental Workload, Terence Y. Kudo

Theses and Dissertations

The problem of classifying pilot mental workload is important to the United States Air Force. Pilots are more subject to errors and G-induced loss of consciousness during periods of mental overload and task saturation. Often the result is the loss of aircraft, and in extreme cases, the loss of the pilot's life. Current research efforts use different psychophysiological features to classify pilot mental workload. These include cardiac, ocular, respiratory, and brain activity measures. The focus of this effort is to apply statistical process control methodology on different psychophysiological features in an attempt to classify pilot mental workload. The control charts …

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A Methodology For Simulating The Joint Strike Fighter's Prognostics And Health Management System, Michael E. Malley Mar 2001

A Methodology For Simulating The Joint Strike Fighter's Prognostics And Health Management System, Michael E. Malley

Theses and Dissertations

The Autonomic Logistics System Simulation (ALSim) model was developed to provide decision makers a tool to make informed decisions regarding the Joint Strike Fighter's (JSF) Autonomic Logistics System (ALS). The ALS provides real-time maintenance information to ground maintenance crews, supply depots, and air planners to efficiently manage the availability of JSF aircraft. This thesis effort focuses on developing a methodology to model the Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) component of ALS. The PHM component of JSF monitors the aircraft status. To develop a PHM methodology to use in ALSim a neural network approach is used. Notional JSF prognostic signals were …

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Identification Of Critical Roles Of Program Managers And Contracting Officers, Daniel R. Shingledecker Mar 2001

Identification Of Critical Roles Of Program Managers And Contracting Officers, Daniel R. Shingledecker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify current disagreement among acquisition professionals in regards to their role and authority; and to identify benefits and risks associated with combining program management and contracting officer roles into a single position. The research questions were answered through a literature review and use of the Delphi technique. The literature review indicated that the DoD has been operating with multiple conflicting perceptions of authority among its key acquisition professionals. The literature also identified the need for complex organizations, such as DoD acquisition offices, to pair high levels of responsibility with equally high levels of …

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A Case Study Analysis Of The Overhead Rate Impact Model Used During The C-5 Maintenance Source Selection, William N. Ward Mar 2001

A Case Study Analysis Of The Overhead Rate Impact Model Used During The C-5 Maintenance Source Selection, William N. Ward

Theses and Dissertations

The Overhead Rate Impact (ORI) model was used during the C-5 Maintenance source selection to evaluate the impact the new workload would have on the existing overhead rates. The objectives of this research study were to evaluate the ORI model and to identify the lessons learned from this source selection. To accomplish these objectives, interviews were conducted with members of the source selection team who were on the Cost Integrated Product Team (IPT). The experts were asked to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the ORI model and to make recommendation on how to improve the model. This study identified …

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Modeling Information Assurance, Joseph E. Beauregard Mar 2001

Modeling Information Assurance, Joseph E. Beauregard

Theses and Dissertations

The ever-increasing speed of information systems allows decision-makers around the world to gather, process, and disseminate information almost instantaneously. However, with this benefit there comes a price. Information is valuable and therefore a target to those who do not have it or wish to destroy it. The Internet has allowed information to flow freely, but it has also made information vulnerable to many forms of corruption. The U. S. military controls much of the world's most sensitive information, and since it cannot sacrifice losing the speed at which this information is currently processed and disseminated, it must find a way …

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Robust Multi-Scenario Optimization Of An Air Expeditionary Force Structure Applying Scatter Search To The Combat Forces Assessment Model, Gokay Bulut Mar 2001

Robust Multi-Scenario Optimization Of An Air Expeditionary Force Structure Applying Scatter Search To The Combat Forces Assessment Model, Gokay Bulut

Theses and Dissertations

Modern Times' bring change in all areas of life. Even the rate of change has changed, and is still changing to increase it's enormous speed even more. Newer and more challenging questions face the military analysts everyday putting a question mark at the end of their last answer. Recently, the question of how to structure a robust air force to meet the requirements of competing, uncertain future scenarios has been keeping them busy. The new world order does not tolerate only being able to respond to a single scenario anymore, which once was considered a hard problem. Who knows what …

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