A threat assessment method of group targets based on interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy multi-attribute group decision-making

Group target (GT) is consisted of multi-class weapons that can collaboratively work and it is a basic application unit in the information warfare. Assessing the threat of GT is required for the optimal decision of troop deployment. However, it is difficult to obtain a reasonable and effective threat assessment result of GT due to the uncertain battlefield information and different judgments from various decision makers (DMs). The study aims to investigate the multi-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) method for solving the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy threat assessment problem of GTs without known attribute weights and DM's preference weights. Based on the assessment information of DMs, attribute weights are determined with the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy entropy. To derive the DM's preference weights objectively, we construct a nonlinear optimization model to minimize decision makers' overall decision-making conflict. Moreover, the artificial bee colony algorithm is introduced to solve the nonlinear constrained optimization problem in the optimization model. The decision information of multi-DM is aggregated by the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy weighted averaging operator (IVIFWA) with the DMs' preference weights. In order to describe the attribute closeness degree to the ideal solution, the decision-making judgment matrix is constructed according to the ideal solution closeness degree of each GT's attribute calculated with the cross-entropy distance. Subsequently, based on the decision-making judgment matrix, the threat degree is calculated according to the weighted average method with the attribute weights. Finally, a case of the threat assessment of group targets is provided to illustrate the implementation process and applicability of the method proposed in this paper. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.