Air-to-air missile

About: Air-to-air missile is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 445 publications have been published within this topic receiving 3165 citations. The topic is also known as: AAM & air intercept missile.

Generalized Vector Explicit Guidance

Abstract: This paper proposes and evaluates a new guidance law termed generalized vector explicit guidance (GENEX). This guidance law can simultaneously achieve design specifications on miss distance and final missile-target relative orientation. The latter may be used to enhance the performance of warheads the effectiveness of which is influenced by the terminal encounter geometry. The GENEX guidance law is parameterized in terms of a design coefficient that determines the degree of curvature in the trajectory. Feasibility of GENEX guidance was demonstrated by its application to two weapon scenarios. The first was an air-to-air missile terminal homing scenario. Assuming ideal sensor information and a single-lag missile response model, the guidance was shown to perform well against an air target performing evasive maneuvers. A specified zero-aspect terminal encounter angle was achieved while simultaneously minimizing miss distance. The second application involved an air-to-surface munition released from an unmanned air vehicle. The GENEX guidance law was able to produce trajectories satisfying a terminal impact angle constraint. In addition, an engagement region of sufficient size was shown to be achievable using guidance gains scheduled with target location and weapon release altitude.

Assessment of air-to-air missile guidance and control technology

Abstract: Current air-to-air missile guidance and control technology is assessed. Areas explored include target state estimation, advanced guidance laws, and bank-to-turn autopilots. The assumptions, benefits, and limitations of recent applications of nonlinear filtering, adaptive filtering, modern control, adaptive control, dual control, differential game theory, and modern control design techniques to the air-to-air missile problem are discussed. >

Game theory for automated maneuvering during air-to-air combat

Abstract: A game-matrix approach has been developed to generate intelligent maneuvering decisions for low-flying aircraft during one-on-one air combat over hilly terrain. The decisions are made by comparing scores based on the predicted orientation, range, velocity, and terrain clearance for various maneuver combinations of both aircraft. A computer program implements the decision process in real time and computes the state of the aircraft employing the selected maneuvers. Predicted states are obtained by numerically integrating the dynamic equations. The program has been installed and demonstrated at the NASA Ames vertical motion simulator to provide an automated adversary for manned helicopter combat simulations. A stand-alone version of the program, in which the decisions of both combatants are generated by the computer, has also been prepared for nonpiloted simulations. Sample trajectories show that this new automated maneuvering logic generates some of the tactics employed by experienced pilots in combat flight tests. Whereas the current application applies to helicopter combat, the program can be used for fixed-wing aircraft by replacing those subroutines that provide the aircraft capabilities.