Main problems of the evaluation and selection of advanced weapon systems exemplified by a multi-role combat aircraft

This paper presents a selection of issues related to the methods of evaluation and selection of advanced weapon systems for armed forces. The paper’s focus is ranking in the form of typical Multidimensional Comparative Analysis Methods, and the AHP method which represents a large group of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis methods. Both methods were illustrated with a practical computational example related to combat aircraft. The example can help determine the defensive capabilities of friendly forces; it can also support the decision-making process in the acquisition of novel armament, including aircraft, ships, surface-to-air missile defense systems, etc. Keywords: armament, military aviation, decision making support, multi-criteria analysis, AHP method, ranking.