Cross Service Fixed-Wing Cost Estimation

Abstract : The TRADOC Analysis Center (TRAC) seeks to develop a process to compute the operational costs to meet a mission demand. TRAC conducts Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) for acquisitions projects. Besides the Army-proposed capabilities to fulfill a DOTMLPF gap, an AoA can require consideration of joint capability as well. Strick comparisons of the life cycle costs of alternative munitions/systems doesn't always provide a complete picture of the true costs of employment; this is especially true for munitions delivered from a platform operated by one of the Army's sister services. The analytic community and senior decision makers desire a method to compare the cost to conduct an attack of a given target with alternative means whether those means are delivered from an aerial platform (rotary wing, fixed wing) or surface (ship, ground launcher). For this effort we will call this cost consideration, mission cost. This project intends to describe methodologies used by the Air Force and Navy to develop fixed wing O and S cost estimates and how they may be used to develop mission costs that are equitable for all systems considered within a study or project.