Location Optimization of Continental United States Strip Alert Sites Supporting Homeland Defense
Abstract
With the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and the fall of the Soviet Union, the number of alert aircraft dwindled to 14 aircraft located at 7 sites on September 11, 2001. After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon, the United States could not continue to endorse an outward looking air defense strategy. Terrorism completely changed the landscape of the air defense mission. This research develops a location optimization model to optimally locate alert sites post-11 September to cover areas of interest in the CONUS. The model finds the minimum number of alert sites, minimum aggregate network distance, and minimized maximum distance given a range of aircraft launch times and speeds. The model is formulated as an Integer Program, and Microsoft Excel's(Registered) Solver(TM) Add-In is used to run the model. This research provides air defense planners a tool to use in formulating an optimal strip alert network. By finding the minimum number of sites and the minimum aggregate distance to cover all areas of interest, duplication of coverage effort, dispersion of resources, and network response time is minimized. The results presented in this research should lead to a more efficient and effective air defense strip alert network to support homeland defense of the United States.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA471961
Entities
People
- Jon A. Eberlan
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology