The Air Force's Munitions Requirements Process (The Nonnuclear Consumables Annual Analysis)
Abstract
The Air Force's Nonnuclear Consumables Annual Analysis (NCAA) details the annual computation of the WRM munitions requirements. This Note examines the process and its outputs and inputs. The potential for bias in some inputs, which may bias the mix of weapons computed by the requirements computation, is investigated. Several suggestions for potential improvements are included. Some of the improvements pertain to the treatment of uncertainty about the number of targets that can be killed with a given number of weapons. The most important potential improvement deals with the consideration of the efficiency of a weapon-the ability (or lack of it) to kill a target in a minimum number of sorties. The early days of a war are generally acknowledged to be target rich and sortie limited. One way to kill additional targets in the early days of the war is to buy and maintain additional aircraft and trained flight crews and base them in theater, or keep them ready to deploy quickly. Another way is to use more efficient munitions. The suggested improvement to the NCAA is intended to achieve more effective sorties early in the war by bringing more balance to these two methods.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA596253
Entities
People
- Gordon B. Crawford
Organizations
- RAND Corporation