A Novel MEREC and ALWAS Multi-Criteria Integration and its Application to the Evaluation of Wheeled Amphibious Armoured Vehicles

Arda Berkcan Topal; Hakan Ayhan Dağıstanlı

Authors

Arda Berkcan Topal Department of Industrial Engineering, Turkish Military Academy, National Defence University, Ankara, Türkiye Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3377-8494
Hakan Ayhan Dağıstanlı Department of Industrial Engineering, Turkish Military Academy, National Defence University, Ankara, Türkiye Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2205-183X

Keywords:

Wheeled amphibious vehicle, Vehicle selection, Multi-criteria decision-making, Defense industry, MEREC, ALWAS

Abstract

As modern warfare has become increasingly asymmetric, achieving significant operational capability in security, defense, offensive, and logistics has become a fundamental requirement for armed forces. Amphibious wheeled vehicles serve as a vital asset, enabling contemporary militaries to address diverse operational needs across land and water, as well as through varied terrain and climatic conditions. Selecting such a vehicle requires the simultaneous evaluation of numerous criteria including terrain adaptability and performance, amphibious capabilities, power transmission, maneuverability, communication systems, and armament. This article proposes a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach to objectively and systematically evaluate alternatives for amphibious wheeled vehicles. By normalizing the performance of various alternatives based on these selected criteria with MEREC method, this approach aims to assist armed forces in identifying the most suitable vehicle to meet their specific operational requirements with ALWAS method. This article aims to contribute to the selection of amphibious wheeled vehicles within the defense industry procurement process by introducing a decision-support framework characterized by multi-layered, traceable, and transparent principles.

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References

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