Enhancing Resilience in Aerospace and Defense MRO: A FIT2 Gaussian Fuzzy MCDM Framework for Enterprise Blockchain Selection

Abstract

Blockchain technology offers transformative potential for enhancing transparency, traceability, and operational resilience in aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). However, a critical research gap exists in evaluating enterprise-level blockchain adoption within highly regulated, security-sensitive aerospace and defense (A&D) MRO ecosystems, where the strategic make-or-buy technological dilemma remains fundamentally unresolved. This study addresses this gap by proposing a novel decision making framework that integrates the Analytic Network Process (ANP) with the Finite Interval Type-2 (FIT2) Gaussian fuzzy Equivalent Uniform Annual Cost (EUAC) and Weighted Euclidean Distance-Based Approach (WEDBA). A comprehensive model comprising five main criteria, 31 subcriteria, and nine blockchain alternatives was evaluated, successfully isolating objective financial parameters through the EUAC method. Applied to a Turkish state-owned MRO enterprise operating in the A&D sector, the ANP identified Records Management Process, Flight Safety, and Corporate Security as the most critical adoption drivers. However, to resolve the strategic conflict between cost-efficiency and data sovereignty, the integrated FIT2 Gaussian fuzzy EUAC-WEDBA methodology prioritized an internally developed enterprise blockchain alternative in the logistics and supply chain domain (A9) as the optimal solution. The findings mathematically demonstrate that bespoke in-house ledgers effectively mitigate third-party vulnerabilities and external counterfeit risks, fostering unparalleled supply chain resilience that strategically outweighs the short-term financial savings of commercial off-the-shelf solutions. This is the first study to combine these advanced uncertainty-modeling methods within a domain-specific framework, offering a highly replicable roadmap for secure and resilient digital transformation.