Decision Advisor
Rank & shortlist defence systems by your priorities
Pick a class, weight what matters — reach, lethality, protection, endurance, unit cost — and the field is ranked by a fit score. It's the same weighted multi-criteria approach (MCDA / SAW / AHP) used in real defence source-selection, run over public specs.
Guidance only. Fit scores reflect the public specifications published here and the weights you set — not classified performance, sustainment, offset, interoperability or political factors that decide real programmes. Always verify against primary sources.
How the Decision Advisor works
The Advisor applies multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) — specifically a weighted additive model (SAW), the practical cousin of AHP used across defence acquisition. Every candidate in a class is normalised against its peers, weighted by your priorities, and ranked by the resulting fit score.
- 1
Pick a requirement class
Choose the system class you are sourcing — main battle tank, 4.5/5th-gen fighter, frigate, air-defence system, MALE UAV and more.
- 2
Weight your priorities
Set how much reach, lethality, protection, endurance, unit cost and adoption each matter — or apply a preset like Firepower-first or Budget-driven.
- 3
Read the ranked shortlist
Every system in the class is normalised and scored, returning a fit percentage with the factors each option is strongest on.
- 4
Compare the finalists
Tick two to five options to open a full side-by-side spec sheet and procurement snapshot for your down-select.
What the score is built from
Direction-aware normalisation
Higher-is-better specs (range, payload) and lower-is-better specs (unit cost) are each scaled 0–1 within the class.
Your weights
Importance sliders (0–5) or presets set how much each factor counts — exactly what pairwise AHP produces.
Data coverage
A light penalty stops a sparsely-documented system from topping the list on one lucky spec.
Class-relevant criteria only
Each class exposes only the factors it actually has public data for — tanks show calibre, ships show VLS cells.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose between two similar defence systems? +
Define your priorities as weighted criteria — range, firepower, protection, endurance, unit cost, how widely it is fielded — then score each candidate against those weights. The WeaponSpecs Decision Advisor does this automatically for every system in a class using a weighted additive (SAW) model, the same multi-criteria approach used in real defence source-selection.
What is a "fit score"? +
A fit score is a 0–100% rating of how well a system matches the priorities you set. Each spec is normalised against the rest of its class (best value in the set scores highest, worst scores lowest), multiplied by your weight for that criterion, and summed. A higher fit score means the system better matches what you said mattered — not that it is objectively "best".
Which criteria matter most when buying a main battle tank? +
Buyers typically weight main-gun calibre and muzzle velocity (lethality), protection and combat weight (survivability), power-to-weight and range (mobility and logistics), plus unit and lifecycle cost. The Advisor exposes exactly the criteria for which public data exists in each class, so tanks, fighters and warships each show their own relevant factors.
How is lifecycle (total) cost estimated? +
Acquisition price is only about 30% of a platform’s lifecycle cost — operating and support dominate the other ~70% (GAO/OSD). Each system page turns the public unit price into a rough 2.5–3.5× lifecycle band over the platform’s service life, so buyers see past the sticker price.
Does the Advisor account for export controls and availability? +
Each system’s procurement snapshot flags its export regime by country of origin — US ITAR/FMS, EU national licensing, Rosoboronexport, or sanctioned origins — along with how many countries already operate it. Actual eligibility, pricing, offsets and delivery lead times must be confirmed with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Is the ranking authoritative? +
No. It is decision-support guidance built from public specifications and the weights you choose. It does not include classified performance, sustainment contracts, interoperability testing or the political and offset factors that decide real programmes. Always verify against primary sources.