Analytical simulation as a support tool in the decision process “wheels or tracks”

In the development of a weapon system, the maximization of demands concerning features like fire power, armor and mobility often leads to incompatibilities within the overall systems, to an imbalanced design and excessively high cost. The consequence is a decrease in mission availability. Therefore, system analysis utilizing simulation techniques is being used more and more in the early stages of the development process. This paper describes the application of such simulation techniques to practical cases. First, the development of a system is described by which to select wheeled or tracked running gears for combat vehicles considering the compatibility of fire power, armor, mobility and cost. Secondly, the possible upper weight ranges for wheeled combat vehicles are discussed, using analytical modeling of vehicle mobility as a basis. The methods used in these cases can also be applied to non-military problems.