Application and extension of the thruput II optimization model for airlift mobility

Recent advances in computing and model formulation have permitted optimization models to influence airlift mobility decision making. This paper describes the use of a large-scale linear program to provide insight to the C-17 Defense Acquisition Board. For this analysis, we used a variety of airlift fleets under a two Major Regional Contingency scenario. We also describe ongoing efforts to improve the realism and tractability of optimization models for airlift analyses, including model reduction and decomposition techniques, as well as incorporating the stochastic nature of aircraft breakdowns.