Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Aerial Platforms and Suitable Communication Payloads

Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Theses and Dissertations </li><li style="flex:1">Thesis Collection </li></ul>2014-03 Cost-effectiveness analysis of aerial platforms and suitable communication payloads Everly, Randall E. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School <a href="/goto?url=http://hdl.handle.net/10945/41375" target="_blank">http://hdl.handle.net/10945/41375 </a>NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS OF AERIAL PLATFORMS AND SUITABLE COMMUNICATION PAYLOADS by Randall E. Everly David C. Limmer March 2014 Thesis Advisor: Co-Advisor: Cameron MacKenzie Glenn Cook <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Second Reader </li><li style="flex:1">John Gibson </li></ul>Approved for public release;distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704–0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202–4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704–0188) Washington DC 20503. <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) </li><li style="flex:1">2. REPORT DATE </li><li style="flex:1">3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">March 2014 </li><li style="flex:1">Master’s Thesis </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE </li><li style="flex:1">5. FUNDING NUMBERS </li></ul>COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS OF AERIAL PLATFORMS AND SUITABLE COMMUNICATION PAYLOADS 6. AUTHOR(S) Randall E. Everly and David C. Limmer 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Naval Postgraduate School 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER Monterey, CA 93943–5000 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) </li><li style="flex:1">10. SPONSORING/MONITORING </li></ul>AGENCY REPORT NUMBER N/A 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. IRB Protocol number ____N/A____. <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT </li><li style="flex:1">12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE </li></ul>Approved for public release;distribution is unlimited 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The goal of this research is to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of selected aerial platforms and suitable communication payloads for use as communication relays in support of distributed military operations. Aerial platforms, for the purpose of this study, include UAVs, towers and aerostats. A multi-objective analysis is utilized to compare dissimilar attributes together among the alternatives. Cost data for each system considered is presented. To analyze the cost-effectiveness of alternatives for different mission sets, three hypothetical scenarios are used including disaster relief, long-range relay, and the tactical user. This research identifies the most cost-effective aerial platforms and communication payloads for each scenario based on the authors’ preferences. Future decision makers can utilize this study as a decision tool to match their own preferences. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV, Unmanned Aerial System, UAS, communication, payload, cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit analysis, CBA, business case, tower, aerostat, airship, satellite, relay, beyond line of sight, over the horizon, UHF, VHF, data, voice 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 203 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF REPORT 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT 20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Unclassified </li><li style="flex:1">Unclassified </li><li style="flex:1">Unclassified </li><li style="flex:1">UU </li></ul>NSN 7540–01–280–5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2–89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239–18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release;distribution is unlimited COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS OF AERIAL PLATFORMS AND SUITABLE COMMUNICATION PAYLOADS Randall E. Everly Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy B.S., United States Naval Academy, 1998 David C. Limmer Lieutenant, United States Navy B.S., Gordon College, 2001 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degrees of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT and MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL March 2014 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Authors: </li><li style="flex:1">Randall E. Everly </li></ul>David C. Limmer <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Approved by: </li><li style="flex:1">Cameron MacKenzie </li></ul>Thesis Advisor Glenn Cook Co-Advisor John Gibson Second Reader Dan Boger Chair, Department of Information Systems Bill Gates Dean, Graduate School of Business iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT The goal of this research is to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of selected aerial platforms and suitable communication payloads for use as communication relays in support of distributed military operations. Aerial platforms, for the purpose of this study, include UAVs, towers and aerostats. A multi-objective analysis is utilized to compare dissimilar attributes together among the alternatives. Cost data for each system considered is presented. To analyze the cost-effectiveness of alternatives for different mission sets, three hypothetical scenarios are used including disaster relief, long-range relay, and the tactical user. This research identifies the most cost-effective aerial platforms and communication payloads for each scenario based on the authors’ preferences. Future decision makers can utilize this study as a decision tool to match their own preferences. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">I. </li><li style="flex:1">INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1 </li></ul>A. B. C. U.S. MILITARY’S GROWING NEED FOR CONNECTIVITY ...............1 SATELLITES CANNOT BE THE SINGULAR SOLUTION ....................1 UAV COMMUNICATION RELAYS PROVIDE A POSSIBLE SOLUTION ......................................................................................................2 ANY SOLUTION MUST BE COST-EFFECTIVE......................................4 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS..........................................................................4 D. E. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Problem Statement...............................................................................4 Purpose Statement ...............................................................................4 Methodology.........................................................................................4 Scope......................................................................................................5 Limitations............................................................................................5 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">F. </li><li style="flex:1">ORGANIZATION ...........................................................................................5 </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">II. </li><li style="flex:1">BACKGROUND ..........................................................................................................7 </li></ul>A. B. RELATED STUDIES......................................................................................7 AERIAL PLATFORMS................................................................................14 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">1. </li><li style="flex:1">UAVs ...................................................................................................16 </li></ul>a. b. c. d. e. Small........................................................................................16 Medium....................................................................................18 Large........................................................................................21 HALE.......................................................................................24 Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) ..................................26 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">2. </li><li style="flex:1">Alternative Aerial Platforms.............................................................28 </li></ul>a. b. c. d. e. Rapidly Erected Towers ..........................................................28 Tethered Multi-rotors..............................................................30 Tethered Balloons/Aerostats...................................................30 Untethered Balloons – Google................................................32 Unmanned Airships ................................................................33 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">C. </li><li style="flex:1">COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND PAYLOADS......................33 </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">1. </li><li style="flex:1">Networking and Communications....................................................34 </li></ul>a. b. c. d. e. Direct Link...............................................................................34 Satellite ....................................................................................35 Cellular....................................................................................35 Mesh ........................................................................................35 MANET ...................................................................................36 2. 3. Technical Background.......................................................................36 a. b. c. d. Link Budget.............................................................................36 Shannon Limit ........................................................................37 Radio Horizon .........................................................................37 Size, Weight, Power and Cooling ...........................................38 Communication Payloads..................................................................39 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">a. </li><li style="flex:1">Persistent Systems Wave Relay...............................................39 </li></ul>vii b. c. d. e. TrellisWare WildCat II and Ocelot ........................................40 Oceus Networks Xiphos ..........................................................41 Harris Falcon III AN/PRC-117G and RF-7800W OU440 ...42 AeroVironment Digital Data Link (DDL)..............................44 D. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................47 A. MODELING APPROACH FOR CEA ........................................................47 SUMMARY ....................................................................................................44 III. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Introduction to CEA..........................................................................47 Objectives Hierarchy.........................................................................49 Value Functions..................................................................................51 Importance Weights...........................................................................54 MOE....................................................................................................57 Determining a Cost-Effective Solution.............................................57 a. b. c. d. Superior Solution....................................................................57 Efficient Solution....................................................................58 Satisficing Solutions ...............................................................59 MOE and Cost Tradeoffs........................................................60 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">B. </li><li style="flex:1">HEIRARCHIES.............................................................................................61 </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">1. </li><li style="flex:1">Aerial Platform Hierarchy................................................................62 </li></ul>a. b. c. d. Flexibility.................................................................................62 Performance............................................................................64 Readiness.................................................................................66 Survivability.............................................................................68 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">2. </li><li style="flex:1">Communication Payload Hierarchy.................................................70 </li></ul>a. b. c. Performance............................................................................71 Flexibility.................................................................................73 Readiness.................................................................................74 C. D. COSTS ............................................................................................................75 1. 2. Aerial Platform Costs ........................................................................75 Communication Payload Costs.........................................................77 SUMMARY ....................................................................................................78 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">IV. </li><li style="flex:1">ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................79 </li></ul>A. HUMANITARIAN AID/DISASTER RELIEF (HADR) SCENARIO......79 1. 2. 3. HADR Scenario: Mission and Environmental Conditions ............79 HADR Scenario: Aerial Platform Importance Weights.................80 HADR Scenario: Aerial Platform Value Functions........................82 a. b. c. d. Flexibility.................................................................................82 Performance............................................................................83 Readiness.................................................................................88 Survivability.............................................................................89 4. 5. HADR Scenario: Aerial Platform Cost-Effective Solutions...........89 HADR Scenario: Communication Payload Importance Weights................................................................................................96 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">HADR Scenario: Communication Payload Value Functions ........97 </li><li style="flex:1">6. </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">a. </li><li style="flex:1">Performance............................................................................97 </li></ul>viii b. c. Flexibility...............................................................................100 Readiness...............................................................................100 7. 8. HADR Scenario: Communication Payload Cost-Effective Solutions............................................................................................101 HADR Scenario: Solution Compatibility ......................................104 <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">B. </li><li style="flex:1">LONG-RANGE SCENARIO......................................................................105 </li></ul>1. 2. 3. Long-Range Scenario: Mission and Environmental Conditions.105 Long-Range Scenario: Aerial Platform Importance Weights .....105 Long-Range Scenario: Aerial Platform Value Functions ............107 a. b. c. d. Flexibility...............................................................................107 Performance..........................................................................108 Readiness...............................................................................112 Survivability...........................................................................112 4. 5. 6. Long-Range Scenario: Aerial Platform Cost-Effective Solutions............................................................................................113 Long-Range Scenario: Communication Payload Importance Weights..............................................................................................117 Long-Range Scenario: Communication Payload Value Functions...........................................................................................118 a. b. c. Performance..........................................................................118 Flexibility...............................................................................119 Readiness...............................................................................121

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Aerial Platforms and Suitable Communication Payloads

Details

Download

Copyright

We respect the copyrights and intellectual property rights of all users. All uploaded documents are either original works of the uploader or authorized works of the rightful owners.

Support