A Simulation-Based Study on Spacial Utilization Considering Resource Operations on Aircraft Carriers

An aircraft carrier is a warship with a flight deck and hangar that enables at-sea STOVL operations under strict space and resource constraints, making operational efficiency a critical design factor. This study develops a discrete event simulation (DES) framework to evaluate space utilization in both the flight deck and hangar. The framework models STOVL aircraft launch and recovery cycles, resource allocation (tractors, refueling, and rearming), and collision avoidance paths using the No-Fit Polygon (NFP) algorithm. Simulation results highlight two major findings. First, on the flight deck, Gantt chart analysis revealed that initial spotting and respotting strategies strongly influence sortie throughput, as bottlenecks from tractor queues and turnaround tasks directly delayed subsequent launches. Second, in the hangar, aircraft orientation and width significantly affected average handling time (AHT) and deployable capacity. A 26m width with 90o orientation minimized towing interference and reduced movement time, while a wider 33m layout allowed greater capacity but did not guarantee shorter handling times. These findings underscore the need for co-optimization of flight deck scheduling and hangar layout at the early design stage. The proposed DES-based method quantitatively supports such trade-offs and provides a foundation for future studies on unmanned aircraft integration and AI-driven operational planning.