With the Continuing Progress in weapon technology, expenditures for weapon acquisitions have increased sharply. Now every new generation of weapon systems costs several times more than that of old systems. Thus, selection of an inappropriate weapon systems results in a large amount of irrational expenditures of the scarce resources.
Recent emphasis on effective defense management has brought about among decision-makers wide-spread interest on cost-effectiveness analysis for the selection and deployment of weapon systems.
Weapon system cost analysis, which is an integral part of cost-effectiveness analysis, attempts cost comparisons among alternative weapon systems which are individually capable of attaining the specified military objectives.
The objective of this thesis is to develop a weapon system cost analysis methodology which is compatible with the operational apects of the ROK Armed Forces such as availability of economic resources, technological capabilities, operational concepts, logistic regulations, etc.
For the effective defense management under resource limitations, this cost analysis methodology will provide military decision-makers and planners with an approach to, or a way of looking at, complex problems of choosing an efficient and economical weapon system among several competing alternatives.
This study includes discussions on overall aspects of cost analysis-cost concepts, principles, procedures, cost estimating techniques and cost models-, followed by a typical cost analysis application to a tactical fighter aircraft selection problem.
In the case of above application, the total system costs are estimated in terms of initial investment costs, peacetime operating costs and wartime costs for the useful life of the specified weapon system. The total costs required for the accomplishment of fixed level of weapon system effectiveness are also estimated in terms of the type of military missions that the aircraft weapon system carries out.
This thesis also contains a computer program for the efficient estimation of various cost elements of aircraft weapon system.
