Advanced Planning and Scheduling in the United States Air Force Depot-Level Maintenance

In the post cold war environment, the rapid deployment of combat capability is critical. Deployment lift capability is limited, however, so the real-time selection of the optimal combat asset mix that balances capability provided and sustainment required has become paramount. In this model, the value of a force mix is determined by the sum of the individual weapon system suitabilities against their assigned missions. The value is constrained by the numerical limits on the items required to create and support the force mix, and the lift required to move these items. The research considered heuristic and complete enumeration methods against the problem structure to develop a decision support model that expedites the selection of the best overall force mix. War planners are provided a decision support tool that objectively compares alternative force mix packages and selects the optimal asset mix in a reasonable amount of time while explicitly considering logistics constraints. This demonstrates the feasibility of an approach that integrates intelligence, operations, and logistics issues into a single decision support and planning tool for force mix decisions

Reforging the Sword

This report proposes an alternative U.S. military force for the first quarter of the 21st century -- one designed to execute a new international security strategy that attempts to respond to the challenges of a changing world and also shape what that world will look like in 2025

Sanktionsausschüsse im Weltsicherheitsrat: Von machtbasierten zu regelbasierten Entscheidungen?

Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, zu untersuchen, ob und auf welche Weise die Einrichtung von entscheidungsbefugten Sanktionsausschüssen im Weltsicherheitsrat die Entscheidungstätigkeit sowie den Gehalt der Entscheidungen beeinflusst. Im Rahmen der Sanktionsregime des Weltsicherheitsrats werden zahlreiche kleinteilige Umsetzungsentscheidungen über längere Zeiträume hinweg getroffen. Diese Entscheidungen überträgt der Sicherheitsrat auf seine Sanktionsausschüsse mit identischer Mitgliedschaft. In dieser Arbeit wird dafür ein theoretisches Konzept des Regierens im Ausschuss entwickelt und argumentiert, dass die Einrichtung von Sanktionsausschüssen einen zweistufigen, in sich differenzierten Entscheidungsprozess hervorbringt, der Regelsetzung und Regelanwendung trennt und damit Anreize zu regelbasiertem Entscheiden erzeugt. Dies ist selbst dann der Fall, wenn alle kollektiven Entscheidungen von denselben Mitgliedern getroffen werden. Während Akteure, die sich darauf konzentrieren spätere Umsetzungsentscheidungen mit Regeln zu steuern, einem erheblichen Konsistenzzwang unterliegen, sehen sich die Akteure in der Ausschusssituation mit Koordinationssituationen konfrontiert, die externer Regeln oder intern erzeugter Präzedenzfälle als Orientierungspunkte bedürfen. Dies gilt sofern kein Akteur eine Entscheidungsblockade bevorzugt. Anschließend werden, basierend auf bislang ungenutzten Dokumenten, die Effekte von Regieren im Ausschuss im Weltsicherheitsrat anhand von fünf Sanktionsregimen (Irak, Al-Qaida/Taliban, Demokratische Republik Kongo, Sudan und Iran) untersucht. Ich komme zu dem Schluss, dass die Übertragung von Entscheidungskompetenzen an Sanktionsausschüsse selbst mächtige Akteure zu regelbasiertem Entscheiden veranlassen kann.In this book, I study how and with what consequences the creation of sanctions committees within Security Council sanctions regimes affects the Council’s dominant logic of decision-making and the content of decisions taken. Security Council sanctions regimes increasingly involve complex governance projects that require the adoption of numerous detailed implementation decisions over extended periods of time. The Security Council increasingly delegates these decisions to its sanctions committees with identical membership. In a first step, I develop a theoretical model of committee governance. I argue that the establishment of sanctions committees creates a two-stage decision process which affects collective decision processes in ways that favor rule-based decisions even though the same group of actors adopts all relevant decisions. This effect occurs if a group of actors separates a comprehensive decision-process into a stage of rule-making and a stage of subsequently applying these rules to a stream of implementation decisions. While rulemaking actors are subject to constraints of consistency, in rule-application, actors face coordination situations that create the demand for externally provided rules or internally produced precedents as focal points. Subsequently, based on previously neglected documents, I analyze the effects of committee governance for five Security Council sanctions regimes (Iraq, Al-Qaida, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Iran). I conclude that delegating implementation decisions to sanctions committees may commit even the most powerful member states to rule-based decision-making

Study of transportation and its planning resources in the German Joint Support Service

Modeling and simulation provide an effective means by which to gain insight into the operational impact of different strategies. This research employs modeling and simulation to identify the significant factors for managing and allocating transportation assets in a humanitarian assistance scenario involving the German Joint Support Service. The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Analysis Center's prototype Logistics Battle Command (LBC) model is used for the exploration. The study outlines a methodology that draws on efficient experimental design and statistical analysis to determine which factors have the greatest affect on the overall performance of logistics operations. Some shortcomings in the LBC model are uncovered, but this study is able to provide limited insights about force structure and address how capability gaps and model shortcomings may be overcome.http://archive.org/details/studyoftransport109455348German Navy authorApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

INVENTORY ACCURACY OF MAINTENANCE ASSISTANCE MODULES (MAMS) ON SHIPS UTILIZING THE ORGANIZATIONAL MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM – NEXT GENERATION (OMMS-NG)

Proper inventory management is crucial to the success of a naval warship’s completion of mission tasking and maintenance operational readiness. All U.S. naval warships require a predetermined inventory of Maintenance Assistance Modules (MAMs) to test and identify broken parts within a weapons or engineering system when failures occur. Once a part is identified as broken, shipboard personnel order that part through the Navy Supply system and return the MAMs to their appropriate inventory location. These are high-value assets that require 100% inventory validity. Fleet Logistics Center San Diego has raised concerns due to declining inventory accuracy results of MAM inventories. This study contains an analysis of the differences in inventory management procedures between a variety of naval assets, ascertains the most efficient practice of inventory management, and presents possible explanations for the loss of these high-value assets. The authors have determined that there is a disparity between a ship’s inventory validities and Type Commander’s (TYCOM’s) inventory validities due to an inadequate inventory management system and insufficient guidance in procedures and policies for managing MAMs.Lieutenant Commander, United States NavyLieutenant Commander, United States NavyLieutenant Commander, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

A Delphi Study of Additive Manufacturing Applicability for United States Air Force Civil Engineer Contingency Operations

Additive manufacturing is a relatively new technique that is gaining popularity in many applications. This research examines the possibilities for the integration of additive manufacturing (AM) machines in United States Air Force civil engineer (CE) contingency operations. A Delphi study was conducted that combined the knowledge and experience of experts in both the AM industry and the Air Force CE community to forecast the possible benefits and drawbacks of this novel AM application. The results of this Delphi study indicate that including an AM machine would be beneficial in meeting deployed Air Force CE requirements. Further, AM technology has reached a point that a pilot study would be beneficial to validate the benefits of including an AM machine in CE operations. Proposed goals of, and a design for this study are presented. Further, the results indicate that within the next five years, AM technology will have progressed far enough that a full-scale deployment of AM machines to meet Air Force CE contingency requirements will be beneficial

An Evaluation of the Argentinean Basic Trainer Aircraft Domestic Development Project

The Argentine Air Force (AAF) is facing increasing challenges in maintaining and sustaining trainer aircraft. The current trainer aircraft used by the AAF face obsolescence issues and decreased serviceability. Argentina used to have the largest aircraft industry among the Latin America countries, but a number of factors such as not maintaining objectives and policies over time undermined its consolidation and were instrumental in Argentina losing its leadership position. To meet AAF requirements and revive Argentina\u27s domestic aircraft industry, an indigenous basic trainer aircraft project is proposed. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the project\u27s viability using a multi-criteria analysis methodology. The evaluation reveals which actions contribute toward the AAF goal of increasing training aircraft availability. An economic analysis also was performed to determine costs vs. benefits and cost efficiency. The proposed option minimizes aircraft inventory diversity while maximizing consistency, sustainability, and versatility