Cooperative guidance and collision avoidance for multiple pursuers

Abstract

This paper presents a cooperative guidance law for an n-on-n engagement scenario that ensures target interception and collision avoidance between the pursuers along with minimizing their team effort. The guidance law is derived using linear quadratic optimal control theory for a linearized engagement model. The pursuers cooperate with each other to accommodate differences in maneuver capabilities of different team members. A special case of 2-on-2 engagement is also analyzed, for which analytical closed-form formulas for the pursuer's guidance law are obtained. Various simulation results and experimental validation results, exemplifying the cooperation in different engagements, are also presented.