Guidance, tracking and radar resource management for self defense

In command-all-the-way (CAW) guidance, an interceptor missile receives all acceleration commands from guidance laws in the weapons system at the launch platform, where a radar is used to track both the missile and the target. Since the missile uses no terminal homing in CAW, highly accurate state estimates for both the interceptor missile and the target are needed for the guidance algorithms to provide acceleration commands to the interceptor missile that are sufficiently accurate to ensure intercept of the target. An interacting multiple model (IMM) algorithm is considered for tracking highly maneuvering targets for support of CAW intercepts. In addition to improved filtering, a guidance scheme that assumes the launch platform is the goal of the target and a method that manages radar resources in the end game are developed. These methods were incorporated into a simulation of an intercept of an airborne target by a surface-to-air-missile (SAM). The simulation was executed for various intercept ranges and the results are summarized.