The analysis of Ship Air Defense: The simulation model SEAROADS

The Simulation, Evaluation, Analysis, and Research On Air Defense Systems model (SEAROADS) is a computer simulation model for evaluating, analyzing, and studying the performance of air defense systems aboard naval frigates. The SEAROADS model simulates an engagement between a given ship configuration and an air threat from hostile missiles in various settings, and thus allows comparison of different tactics, systems, and configurations in relation to a single ship operating in an anti-air-warfare role. SEAROADS has a modular construction based on an object-oriented approach and is therefore easy to modify in order to investigate different systems and tactics. This article offers a detailed discussion of the implementation method, the model, and its applications. It also includes an approach to validation and verification. Results and actual data are omitted, because the authors’ aim is merely to illustrate how operations research can be used to structure a complicated problem and thus contribute to its solution.