Systems Engineering and Electronics ›› 2026, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (7): 2352-2366.doi: 10.12305/j.issn.1001-506X.2026.07.20

• Systems Engineering • Previous Articles    

Optimization method of air refueling mission assignment based on hard time window

Xu MA, Fuping YU, Di SHEN   

  1. Air Traffic Control and Navigation College,Air Force Engineering University,Xi’an 710051,China
  • Received:2025-02-26 Revised:2025-06-03 Online:2026-03-16 Published:2026-03-16
  • Contact: Fuping YU

Abstract:

For the mission planning problem of collaborative multi-tanker support to multiple patrol formations in defensive air superiority operations, an air refueling mission assignment optimization method based on hard time window constraints is proposed. Firstly, by analyzing the characteristics of combat air patrol missions, an air refueling mission assignment optimization model is constructed with the core objective of minimizing tanker sortie while considering waiting cost and fuel utilization efficiency. Secondly, an improved adaptive multi-stage ant colony optimization algorithm is designed. By dynamically adjusting heuristic information factors and pheromone update mechanisms, the algorithm enhances adaptability to hard time window constraints and global search capability. Finally, the optimized plan result is compared with the original assignment scheme in terms of cost reduction. Through large-scale numerical experiments, the algorithm’s time and space complexity are analyzed, elucidating its advantages and limitations for large-scale air refueling mission assignment.

Key words: air refueling, hard time window, task assignment, ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm

CLC Number: 

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