SBIR-STTR Award

Current analytical tools are incapable of providing comprehensive effectiveness and affordability insights that inform the decision space from both the warfighters’ and acquirers’ perspectives. This research initially focuses on developing a utility value objective function cast in the context of a joint, campaign-level warfight that can be incorporated into the Synthetic Theater Operations Research Model (STORM) to automatically generate optimized ATOs that 1) meet the warfighter’s target and time-based operational objectives; and 2) capture the resource allocation and cost-effectiveness view of acquirers and force providers. The research will assess and characterize the optimization formulation in terms of its ability to reach a feasible solution with minimal impact on STORM’s overall performance. The methodology will produce an actionable, high-level software design and specification for Phase II implementation, leading to an analytically useful STORM capability with an integrated, optimized strike planner. The approach promises a capability within a single tool to credibly assess and quantify the comparative cost- and operational effectiveness of advanced technology and weapon concepts to inform AFRL/RW’s R&D priorities and investment decisions. Further applications would involve comparative analysis of campaign outcomes to inform the broader AF acquisition strategy in its consideration of trades between platforms and weapons.

Benefits:
Phase II will produce a functional tool to capture operational effectiveness and cost/benefit relationships within a single analysis. This will support AFRL’s needs and benefit other analytically chartered organizations doing course of action operational planning, system acquisition and force structure decisions, including Analyses of Alternatives (AoAs). The tool will provide USAF/USN/USMC/USA senior decision-makers with informed insights to evaluate alternative capability and weapon investment strategies. Current STORM users across DoD will benefit from this capability as it allows them to explicitly trade lethality and survivability during STORM’s air interdiction planning process, thus significantly reducing the effort required to create an effective, survivable interdiction plan. Optimization in STORM that explicitly considers cost (including asset operational use and fuel cost) in the context of operational effectiveness will enhance the ability of USAF and other Services to understand and assess energy and other sustainability issues.

Keywords:
Campaign analysis, STORM, Optimized Strike Planner, Comparative cost- and effectiveness analysis

Current analytical tools are incapable of providing comprehensive effectiveness and affordability insights that inform the decision space from both the warfighters’ and acquirers’ perspectives. This research focuses on developing an Optimizing Strike Planner incorporated into the Joint, campaign-level Synthetic Theater Operations Research Model (STORM) to automatically generate optimized ATOs that 1) meet the warfighter’s target and time-based operational objectives; and 2) capture the resource allocation and cost-effectiveness view of acquirers and force providers. The approach promises a capability within a single tool to credibly assess and quantify the comparative cost- and operational effectiveness of advanced technology and weapon concepts to inform AFRL/RW’s R&D priorities and investment decisions. Further applications would involve comparative analysis of campaign outcomes to inform the broader AF acquisition strategy in its consideration of trades between platforms and weapons.

Benefits:
Phase II will produce a functional tool to capture operational effectiveness and cost/benefit relationships within a single analysis. This will support AFRL’s needs and benefit other analytically chartered organizations doing course of action operational planning, system acquisition and force structure decisions, including Analyses of Alternatives (AoAs). The tool will provide USAF/USN/USMC/USA senior decision-makers with informed insights to evaluate alternative capability and weapon investment strategies.

Keywords:
Optimization, Strike, Planner, STORM, Campaign, Simulation, Model,