Performance comparison of the notable acceleration- and angle-based guidance laws for a short-range air-to-surface missile

Abstract

Short-range air-to-surface missiles have become globally popular in the last two decades. As a performance driver, the type of guidance law gains importance. In this study, proportional navigation, velocity pursuit, and augmented proportional navigation guidance laws, whose resulting guidance commands take the form of lateral acceleration, are applied to a short-range air-to-surface missile against both stationary and maneuvering ground targets. Body pursuit and linear homing guidance laws, which yield angular commands, are additionally applied. Having completed the relevant computer simulations, we conclude that none of the acceleration-and angle-based guidance laws are absolutely superior to the others.

Investigation of the Performance Characteristics of the Angle-based Proportional Navigation Guidance Law

“…In the LHG law, the position of the missile is intended to be kept on the collision triangle formed by the missile, target, and predicted collision point during the engagement duration. As per the LHG law, the guidance commands are introduced in terms of the flight path angles of the missile in the pitch and yaw planes [3], [4], [5]:…”

“…The angle autopilots which realize the command signals produced by the PNG, VPG, BPG, and LHG laws by converting them into physical motion in the pitch and yaw planes can be defined using the following transfer functions [3], [5]: where n1, n2, n3, d1, d2, d3, d4, n1, n2, n3, d1, d2, d3, and d4 coefficients are functions of the diameter, mass, moment of inertia, and velocity components of the missile as well as the autopilot gains, dynamic pressure, and aerodynamic coefficients.…”

“…The autopilot gains are determined by equating the characteristic polynomial, i.e. the denominator polynomial, of the transfer functions given in equations ( 29) and (30) to a standard fourth-order Butterworth polynomial such that they provide the autopilot with having stability and desired bandwidth value [3], [5].…”

“…On the other hand, lower lateral acceleration values could be achieved with the angle-based guidance laws by utilizing an autopilot scheme having a bandwidth profile which linearly increases in time. The cost of this improvement becomes a reasonable increment in the final miss distance value [3], [4], [5].…”

“…Angle-based guidance laws are utilized to the motion planning of the mechatronic systems other than autonomous guided munition. In this extent, it is shown by means of the computer simulations that the motion strategy to carry the considered autonomous robot manipulator, quadrotor, and tracked vehicle to predefined target points can be planned using a convenient guidance law depending on the designed scenario [3], [6], [7], [8].…”