Date of Award

3-2003

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

First Advisor

Richard F. Deckro, PhD

Abstract

The 2001 Report of the Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization recommended that U.S. efforts in national security space be elevated to the highest national security priority. With more focused high-level attention on national security space decisions a measure that captures and quantities the value of space capabilities to combat operations professionals is desired. This thesis models what the air warriors desire from space assets in combat. A Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) approach was used to elicit values from air combat experts with operational experience. An initial Gold Standard value model was constructed and validated by air combat experts with recent experience in joint air operations. The strategic objective Leverage National Security Space Capabilities to Enhance Air Combat Operations was decomposed into values which were structured into a hierarchy. Measures and value functions were identified for the bottom-tier values which were weighted locally to assess their relative importance. The research identified measures of merit with thresholds beneath which value at higher levels is eliminated resulting in a multiplicative value function using indicator variables. An additional result is the separation of communication and navigation measures into pre-flight and in- fight components which has not been documented in previous literature.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GAI-ENS-03-01

DTIC Accession Number

ADA413124

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