Real Time Performance of Pursuer Seeker Estimator

Abstract

The authors recently have studied the comparative closed loop performance of extended Kalman filter based radar and seeker estimator for real world pursuer-evader engagement. This paper addresses real time implementation details of proposed seeker estimator design. The analytical and numerical evaluation of measurement Jacobian matrix of highly nonlinear measurement equations arising in present context have been compared and analytical evaluation has been shown to give consistent results with thirty percent reduction in cycle time. This enabled real time implementation of the proposed seeker estimator mechanization algorithm to be ported in pursuer onboard computer within processor load constraints. The complete real time estimation algorithm along with pursuer inertial navigation system and onboard computer interface algorithm have been discussed in present paper. Performance of the proposed algorithm was found to be consistent using Monte Carlo based 6-degrees-of-freedom simulation with different estimator mechanizations in closed loop pursuer-evader engagement. Validation of the present algorithm through successful flight test has also been reported.