Simultaneous Localization and Planning for Cooperative Air Munitions

Abstract

This chapter considers the cooperative control of aerial munitions during the attack phase of a mission against ground targets. It is assumed that sensor information from multiple munitions is available to refine an estimate of the target location. Based on models of the munition dynamics and sensor performance, munition trajectories are designed that enhance the ability to cooperatively estimate the target location. The problem is posed as an optimal control problem using a cost function based on the variances in the target-location estimate. These variances are computed by fusing the individual munition measurements in a weighted least squares estimate. Numerical solutions are found for several examples both with and without considering limitations on the munitions’ field of view. These examples show large reductions in target-location uncertainty when these trajectories are used compared to other naively designed trajectories. This reduction in uncertainty could enable the attack of targets with greater precision using smaller, cheaper munitions.