Two Methodologies for Combat Unit Stockage.

Abstract : The purpose of the report is to present two new algorithms for developing stockage lists of support items for weapon systems at Army Organization level, and to present empirical results of their comparison. Developing economic stockage lists may be viewed as a multi-dimensional 'fly-away kit' problem - the multi-dimensionality due to performance requirements for several weapon systems simultaneously. Complicating factors include a constraint on the number of lines stocked, and commonality of support items among the multiple systems. One algorithms is a Lagrangian approach with a heuristic search for the multiplier. The other is a linear programming formulation. Their comparison made use of three separate data bases: one for a mechanized infantry company, another for an armor company, and the third an artificial data base contrived to reveal algorithm behavior in cases with much commonality. (Author)