Pursuit-evasion in medium-range air-combat scenarios (Q1088932)

Strategies for unmanned air combat simulation are usually constructed by synthesizing control laws derived from pilot behaviour analysis. Typical maneuver sequences are: pre-launch maneuvering for favourable missile launch conditions, post-launch maneuvering for deterioration of anticipated counterfire, missile avoidance, reattack. An alternate procedure for developing such strategies consists of modelling the air combat scenario as a differential game problem - or a series of such problems and applying differential game theory. In this paper full order modelling of 1 vs 1 engagements with medium range missiles is discussed, including constraints in dynamic pressure, radar visibility and load factors. As an example the open-loop solution of a characteristic pursuit-evasion problem is presented and compared to a simulation result using a typical air combat simulation computer program.