Surface action group defense model

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to examine, through the use of Systems Engineering techniques, the ability of navy warships to operate in areas of low or medium threat when no friendly aircraft carriers are present. The major effort of the project is directed at developing a computer model that can evaluate this ability.

The current U. S. Navy budget mandates a reduction in the number of operational aircraft carrier battlegroups. However, the Navy still has commitments to provide a forward military presence to the same degree as it had during the Cold War. To address the deficiency the Navy issued a white paper emphasizing the need to do more with fewer assets. In an attempt to identify an alternative means of maintaining the Navy's overseas commitments, the author proposes to design and evaluate a new and smaller battlegroup centered on the latest generation of surface combatants. This battlegroup would serve as a replacement for the carrier battlegroup when certain established pre-conditions were met.

The Systems Engineering process is initiated by defining a particular problem and translating it into a statement of need. In this case, develop an alternative to sending limited aircraft carrier assets to conflict areas where the threat to naval forces is not high is defined and used as solutions. Evaluation criteria is established and a mathematical model constructed to ascertain the validity of a particular approach.

The project examines how the definition of need through conceptual systems design stage of the Systems Engineering process is used to evaluate feasible solutions, the focus being the use of modeling techniques to evaluate those alternatives.