Firepower distribution is a key link in the surface-air warfare. The fire distribution model and the efficiency of solving it all will affect the result of the air defense warfare directly. The fire distribution model is proposed based on the research of the air defense warfare. The penalty function algorithm is used to simplify the fire distribution model, and the differential evolution algorithm (DE) is introduced based on analyzing the strong point and weak point of it. According to the efficiency and the robustness of DE, it is meaningful to introduce DE into solving the model of fire distribution. An example is given to simulate and analyze the firepower distribution model of surface to air missile based on the differential evolution algorithm. The result shows that the algorithm is of fast convergence, strong robustness and high implementing efficiency in solving the problem of firepower distribution of surface to air missile. So DE is an effective method in solving the firepower distribution model of surface to air missile, and also it can be applied to other problems.