Modeling and analyzing army air assault operations via simulation

Abstract

It is very important to use combat simulations in personel training and as a scientific decision tool in developed countries. The use of simulation and analysis methodologies gives opportunity to the staff officers and the commanders to foresee the results of their plans and to take some precautions accordingly. Different combat scenarios can be tried without deploying the units to the combat area and getting losts, costs and risks. As one of the most complicated and decisive operation in the way to victory “Air assault operations” are high risk, high payoff operations, that, when properly planned and vigorously executed, allow commanders to take the initiative of the combat area. The use of Air Assault Operations Simulation Model (AAOSM) allows planners: (1) to build models of air assault operations early in the decision process and refine those models as their decision process evolve, (2) perform “Bottleneck analysis” of the preplanned operation using statistical procedures and take some precautions accordingly. (3) perform “Risk management” of the operation before conducting the real one. AAOSM is created by using ARENA 3.0 simulation program and SIMAN programming languauge.The outputs of the model is analysed using experimental design procedures and the significant factors that are significant to the outputs are analysed. Moreover, the best scenarios are evaluated in different weather and terrain conditions and different refuelling and maintenance configurations.