Precision Guidance with Impact Angle Requirements

The weapon system guidance problem involves designing control algorithms to achieve weapon trajectories with predetermined interception conditions. The need to investigate precision guidance of weapon systems results from recent developments in weapon systems and sub-systems as well as changes in the deployment and operational philosophies. New precision guidance problems have been posed that include requirements involving impact angle criteria in addition to the requirement for zero miss-distance. These new interception requirements facilitate optimization of the warhead/fuzing and seeker components and hence maximise weapon effectiveness. This paper proposes and analyses two solutions to this precision guidance problem. The key contribution of this paper is a model of the engagement that highlights the structural properties of weapon trajectories that achieve the precision guidance requirements. These structural properties are used to develop an ad hoc controller and are further developed to proposed an optimal control solution. The two proposed control algorithms are examined both through theory and simulation studies for a variety of engagement configurations. An improved understanding of the precision guidance problem is developed in this paper and this understanding will enable a more thorough and efficient response to the Department of Defence's requirements for assessment, evaluation, advice and modification of weapon systems.