MAAP: the military aircraft allocation planner

The authors present an application of genetic algorithms to the field of large-scale allocation problems in which a collection of resources (assets) must be mapped in an optimal or near-optimal manner to a number of objectives (targets), as measured by an objective function. Such problems are complex due to their requirements for integer solutions, non-linear objective functions and linear asset constraints. Genetic algorithms have turned out to be a natural fit for this application. They summarize the scope of the MAAP tool prototype as delivered to the U.S. Air Force and indicate their plans for ongoing and future research.