Trajectory Optimization of Thrust Adjustable Air-to-Air Missiles in Complex Scenarios

Abstract

The attack capabilities and potential advantages of thrust adjustable air-to-air missiles in complex combat scenarios is explored. This paper envisions a concept of thrust adjustable air-to-air missiles and establishes a three-dimensional trajectory dynamics model, then employs trajectory optimization methods to study the attack capabilities of thrust adjustable air-to-air missiles. Numerical simulation is conducted for two envisioned combat scenarios: target loss recapture scenario and target change scenario after launch, and their capabilities are compared with traditional powered air-to-air missile. Simulation results indicate that in the target loss and recapture scenario, when the initial missile-to-target distance is between 70 to 100 km, the maximum allowable target loss duration of thrust adjustable air-to-air missiles is increased 20 to 40 s approximately than that of traditional solid-propellant air-to-air missile, and the latest allowed target loss time is about 20 s later than traditional air-to-air missile. In the target change after launch scenario, when the initial missile-to-target distance is between 70 to 100 km and the lateral distance between the new and the old targets is 30 km, the tolerance margin of latest target change time for thrust adjustable air-to-air missiles is delayed by approximately 10 to 70 s compared to traditional solid-propellant air-to-air missile.

Keywords

• |thrust adjustable|air-to-air missile|complex scenarios|trajectory optimization|attack capability