Pilot training is the most critical factor that determines the fighting capability of the Air Force. It is a very costly, lengthy and complex process, and therefore very hard to manage. The fighting capability today is the result of the hiring and training decisions made many years ago. Therefore, anticipatory planning is very important in pilot training, to reduce costs and increase fighting capability. The purpose of this project is to model and optimize the F-16 pilot training progression as a supply chain where each step in the process is seen as the \"supplier\" of the next step. The attritions and reassignments of the pilots make this model complicated and there are also the constraints of scarce training resources such as instructors and equipment. The purpose of this project is to develop a model-based approach for reducing the cost of pilot training while improving the fighting capacity of the Air Force. In this research we develop a linear programming model to synchronize and balance the flow of pilots through the various stages of the supply chain. The model includes constraints such as capacity and manpower flows reflecting hiring and training of pilots. The optimization model is then tested and illustrated through a computational experiment based on realistic yet hypothetical data.

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