Performance Evaluation of a Forward Arming and Refueling Point Using Discrete Event Simulation

FARP operations were developed to reduce the time between turns for helicopters while conducting missions. The FARP has proven to save time and increase the time on target for each aircraft sortie. This time saving FARP configuration has been used by aviation units for many years. While in many cases the FARP setup is determined based on several factors, typically a thorough analysis is not completed to determine the best configuration for the FARP. A FARP may not provide adequate points to meet mission turn around, or maybe a FARP has too many points, increasing the FARP footprint and increasing its vulnerability. Determining the optimal FARP configuration could provide substantial benefits to FARP operations. The research showed that the throughput of the FARP is dependent on several different variables. In most cases, the throughput of the FARP increased with increases in points, aircraft and enemy. However, the research showed that the FARP as a system becomes constrained eventually by service time and the FARP reaches a maximum throughput in a 24-hour period. Understanding this maximum capacity can help a planner determine how many FARPs would be needed for different mission sets. This research also provided planning charts which could be used for actual mission planning and it provided a model in which the planning factors could be changed to produce new charts which could be used for mission planning.