Modelling air combat as differential game recent approaches and future requirements

The paper deals with differential game models of one-versus-one air combat. After a brief retrospection to classical pursuit-evasion game approaches recently introduced two-target game formulations are addressed. The possible complexity of the qualitative solution is pointed out. It results from the fact that two players need not be able to achieve the same outcome from the same initial position. The paper concentrates on two recently published quantitative approaches to define strategies for the winning player. The "combat game" is an extension of the classical game of degree. "Pareto-optimal security strategies" have their origin in n-person game theory. Finally the design of "reprisal strategies" to exploit nonoptimal behaviour of the opponent is outlined.