A Study on the Optimal Operation of Heterogeneous Bird Deterrent Drones to Prevent Bird Strikes at Military Airfields

The occurrence of bird strikes in airport areas poses a serious threat to aviation safety and results in substantial economic losses. This study proposes a mathematical optimization model for the efficient operation of a heterogeneous bird-repelling drone system designed to prevent bird strikes around airports. Based on a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) framework, the proposed model integrates mission area classification and deployment location optimization reflecting avian habitat characteristics, along with operational planning of heterogeneous drones according to region-specific bird-repelling features. The model provides optimized mission assignments and flight paths for various types of bird-repelling drones. The proposed approach first divides the airfield, defines parameters for each subdivided area, assigns deterrence methods and mission durations, and then derives optimal flight routes based on the mission allocation results. Through various scenario-based instances, the model’s effectiveness is validated, and sensitivity analysis is conducted to identify the appropriate scale of drone operations according to operational effectiveness. This research introduces an innovative approach to wildlife management and aviation safety enhancement at airports, offering a highly applicable decision-support system for practical implementation.