Strategic airlift is an essential capability for the rapid global movement of cargo, particularly in crisis operations where timelines are short and cargo demands extreme. Despite the European Union's collective purchase of A400M aircraft, capability gaps remain due to the aircraft's limited ability to airlift heavy and outsized equipment. This study applies Knowledge-Based Engineering aircraft design tools in conjunction with Agent-Based Simulation techniques to evaluate a fleet's ability to move cargo rapidly across strategic distances in high-stakes operational scenarios. One focus of the study is on the often-overlooked constraint of cargo hold volume and its effects on a fleet's ability to transport cargo. The study found that this volume constraint can reduce airlift capacity by roughly 20% in scenarios with medium-density cargo. Further, through design space exploration, this study identifies key top-level aircraft requirements for a new airlifter to work effectively in the European fleet of airlifters. Analysis reveals that a next-generation aircraft requires a wide fuselage capable of double-file loading, an extended fuselage length of 39m, an increased payload capacity of 120 tons, and a cruise speed of Mach 0.8. Such a design could enhance the fleet performance and reduce fleet requirements by roughly 30%.

Manned-Unmanned teaming with Loyal Wingmen is part of every current future fighter concept. However, while much effort is put into design and research, it remains to be seen whether the inclusion of Wingmen yields a better mission outcome. Additionally, there is much uncertainty about the ideal design and the Concept of Operations. This work aims to change that by addressing all three elements. Using Knowledge-Based Engineering, a set of Wingmen is designed for the Suppression and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses. In the frame of a parameter study, physics-based combat simulations are conducted using Agent-Based Modeling. The results are analyzed via the derived Measures of Effectiveness of Mission Effectiveness, Survivability, Cost, and Lethality. The performance of formations including Wingmen is compared to the performance of modern tactics. The results show significant improvements in mission outcomes when Wingmen are deployed. Optimum results are achieved with Wingmen featuring slightly reduced Radar Cross-Section and balanced Specific Excess Power. The Concept of Operations has an effect, too. Fewer Wingmen carrying a larger number of weapons yield higher overall survivability than more but smaller Wingmen. The inverse holds for overall lethality. The results provide valuable insights into the optimal design and function of the Loyal Wingman concept.

When there is a need to move cargo across the world in the fastest possible manner, airlift is the prime solution. Due to the potential extreme requirements of airlift, aircraft have to be capable of performing in a myriad of operational environments. To support future aircraft design loops, this work proposes a framework which couples aircraft design and operational effectiveness in an agent-based simulation, allowing a more direct evaluation of design choices. Aircraft are modelled with inputs akin to typical design tool outputs, and airlift operational objectives and events are parameterized to allow for user customization and mission tailoring. To deal with stochastic and unexpected events that occur within airlifts, such as aircraft servicing, cargo demand reformulation and airbase access restriction, the aircraft and cargo are modelled as agents and managed by a dispatcher. Aircraft bid for cargo with flights which are configured by the dispatcher, allowing cargo to choose its flight path according to the airlift objective. Through analyzing a theoretical disaster relief mission, the impact of disruptive events on airlift time, cost and cargo throughput is shown to be significant, motivating their inclusion in future analysis. An exploration of aircraft design and airlift objectives is also analyzed, which highlighted the variance in airlift performance due to changes in aircraft payload-range and operational logics. The results demonstrate the framework's ability to capture the varying complexities of the airlift system, exemplifying its utility in future airlift and aircraft design optimization and resilience testing.