Weakest‐link attacker‐defender games with multiple attack technologies

In this article, we examine a model of terrorism that focuses on the tradeoffs facing a terrorist organization that has two qualitatively different attack modes at its disposal. The terrorist organization's objective is to successfully attack at least one target. Success for the target government is defined as defending all targets from any and all attacks. In this context, we examine how terrorist entities strategically utilize an efficient but discrete attack technology — e.g., suicide attacks — when a more conventional mode of attack is available, and the optimal anti‐terrorism measures.© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2012     

Application of level crossing analysis to discrete state processes in queueing systems

In this paper we introduce a discrete state level crossing analysis and present some basic results and a key theorem of level crossings. We illustrate the fertility of the discrete state level crossing analysis by applying it to queueing systems with (i) bulk arrival, (ii) instantaneous feedback, (iii) limited waiting space, and (iv) to machine interference problems.     

A single‐period inventory placement problem for a serial supply chain

This article addresses the inventory placement problem in a serial supply chain facing a stochastic demand for a single planning period. All customer demand is served from stage 1, where the product is stored in its final form. If the demand exceeds the supply at stage 1, then stage 1 is resupplied from stocks held at the upstream stages 2 through N, where the product may be stored in finished form or as raw materials or subassemblies. All stocking decisions are made before the demand occurs. The demand is nonnegative and continuous with a known probability distribution, and the purchasing, holding, shipping, processing, and shortage costs are proportional. There are no fixed costs. All unsatisfied demand is lost. The objective is to select the stock quantities that should be placed different stages so as to maximize the expected profit. Under reasonable cost assumptions, this leads to a convex constrained optimization problem. We characterize the properties of the optimal solution and propose an effective algorithm for its computation. For the case of normal demands, the calculations can be done on a spreadsheet. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 48:506–517, 2001     

The New Global Security Landscape: The Road Ahead

If one could look through the familiar artificial political lines and colors of a current world map into the twenty-first century strategic reality, one could see a complex new security arena. A deeper look into that picture would provide magical snapshots that show several types of ambiguous and asymmetric conflicts, and state failure - and their causes and consequences. Then, with some additional adjustments of focus, one can discern a number of issues that cannot be shown in two-dimensional space. They are briefly discussed as follows. First and importantly, one can get a better idea of the complex threat situation and the ultimate threat - state failure. Second, an even deeper examination of the vision of contemporary wars reveals the shadows of things that have been and of those that will be on the road ahead. Third, a closer look at the familiar and troubling world map exposes some signposts on the road ahead that indicate the most significant changes in the landscape. Finally, our magical microscope reveals a short list of the basic challenges and tasks that can help discerning civilian and military leaders negotiate the road through the new global security environment.