Developing Optimization Methods for Maritime Escort Strategies for Littoral and Chokepoint Shipping Lanes

Protecting maritime shipping lanes, particularly vulnerable littoral chokepoints, is critical to maintaining global economic stability. These narrow sea passages connecting major bodies of water are susceptible to disruption, as demonstrated by recent hostile activities in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz. This project aims to address the growing complexity of maritime threats by developing mathematical optimization models for allocating limited U.S. military assets to neutralize or alleviate the risk of potential threats. The proposed research will develop mixed-integer programming (MIP) models to determine effective strategies involving a diverse set of protection assets, such as warship escorts, unmanned aerial vehicles, and missile defense systems. The project will specifically focus on minimizing risks to vessels while also optimizing the cost-benefit balance for defending these critical shipping corridors. By collaborating with U.S. Navy stakeholders at the U.S. Northern Command, the findings will support enhanced operational planning, contribute to securing domestic transportation infrastructure, and improve the resilience of the global supply chain. This work seeks to fill a gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive, quantitative approach to maritime defense in the context of modern threats.

    Language

    • English

    Project

    • Status: Active
    • Funding: $179,531.00
    • Contract Numbers:

      69A3552348331

    • Sponsor Organizations:

      USDOT/OST-R

      Washington DC,   United States 
    • Managing Organizations:

      Maritime Transportation Research and Education Center (MarTREC)

      University of Arkansas
      4190 Bell Engineering Center
      Fayetteville, AR  United States  72701
    • Performing Organizations:

      University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

      Department of Industrial Engineering
      Fayetteville, AR  United States  72701
    • Principal Investigators:

      Sullivan, Kelly

      Curry, Robert M

    • Start Date: 20250101
    • Expected Completion Date: 20260701
    • Actual Completion Date: 0
    • USDOT Program: UTC

    Subject/Index Terms

    Filing Info

    • Accession Number: 01944399
    • Record Type: Research project
    • Source Agency: Maritime Transportation Research and Education Center (MarTREC)
    • Contract Numbers: 69A3552348331
    • Files: UTC, RIP
    • Created Date: Jan 29 2025 4:37PM