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Researchers Do the Math on Planning Helicopter Operations

A new computational model shortens planning time.

A Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter prepares to land aboard the USS Nimitz during routine operations in the South China Sea, April 17, 2023. Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a computational model and heuristic to dramatically shorten the amount of time it takes to plan helicopter operations. Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Laird

North Carolina State University researchers have developed a computational model that allows the military to make more efficient use of helicopters, helping commanders move troops on the battlefield more quickly in response to operational demands.

Normally, it can take up to six hours to develop relevant helicopter assignments during military operations, according to a North Carolina State University press release, but with the new computational model, that same process can be done in as little as one hour.

Specifically, the new mathematical model accounts for a range of features that might be relevant to any specific operation, including:

Availability of refuel nodes
Maximizing the number of requested missions supported
Time windows for accomplishing the missions
Parameters that reflect operation-specific command guidance
Aircraft team time windows and maximum duration
Passenger ride time limits.

“This model generates optimal solutions,” Brandon McConnell, co-author of a paper on the work, said in the press release “However, because the model is complex, it is only practical for problems where there are relatively low numbers of air mission requests and small helicopter fleets. Otherwise, the problem becomes too complex.”

To address the limitations of the model, the researchers developed a heuristic, which is a series of mathematical steps that allows a solution to a complex problem very quickly. An optimal solution would take too long, but planners can come up with a good solution that works as a starting point, McConnell added.

In proof-of-concept testing, the heuristic was able to provide assignments in close to real time for medium-size operations, and in roughly two-and-a-half hours for situations involving up to 90 air mission requests.

Lt. Col. Russell Nelson, USA, first author on the paper and recent North Carolina State University Ph.D. graduate, explained in the release that the research serves as a proof-of-concept for a tool that can expedite air movement operations, and there are two future directions for the work. “First, we have already completed work that improves both the speed and accuracy of the heuristic, which is forthcoming. Second, the model and heuristic need to be incorporated into a user-friendly software package that can be integrated into the platforms used by the Army or by other branches of the military.”