Autonomous Guidance of Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles in Basic Fighter Maneuvering
Abstract
Basic fighter maneuvering, or BFM, is the dynamic engagement of two or more aircraft in close-range air combat. The relatively recent introduction of advanced unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) has opened the possibility for automated systems to be players in this arena of air-to-air combat, which has thus far been limited to manned aircraft. In order to design an unmanned system that could fight and win a BFM engagement, the system must include an advanced system for guidance. This dissertation leverages techniques from gain scheduling and incorporates adjustable aimpoint guidance, in order to address the capability for UCAVs to execute autonomous BFM. It also redefines how success is measured for an autonomous fighter aircraft in BFM. Finally, this guidance method also incorporates a concept known as Vertical Energy-Maneuverability, which quantities an aircraft’s specific power at various energy states when maneuvering nose high or nose low.