Analyzing the Interdiction of Sea-Borne Threats Using Simulation Optimization

Worldwide, maritime trade accounts for approximately 80% of all trade by volume and is expected to double in the next twenty years. Prior to September 11, 2001, Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security (PWCS) was afforded only 1 percent of United States Coast Guard (USCG) resources. Today, it accounts for nearly 22 percent of dedicated USCG resources. Tactical assessment of resource requirements and operational limitations on the PWCS mission is necessary for more effective management of USCG assets to meet the broader range of competing missions. This research effort involves the development and validation of a discrete-event simulation model of the atsea vessel interdiction process utilizing USCG assets. Through a simulation optimization approach, our research uses the efficiency of a localized search algorithm interfaced with the simulation model to assess resource allocation levels of USCG assets in the interception, boarding and control, and inspection processes that compose the overall interdiction process with the overall objective of minimizing process time requirements.