Three-dimensional coverage-based cooperative guidance law with overload constraints to intercept a hypersonic vehicle

This paper proposes a coverage-based cooperative guidance (CBCG) law to enable low-velocity and constrained-manoeuvrability interceptors to intercept a hypersonic vehicle, considering overload constraints. First, the reachable, feasible, and escape areas are considered to establish the guidance law under a nonlinear interception model. Second, the problem of intercepting the hypersonic vehicle is transformed into a coverage problem by using the coverage strategy. A guidance command including basis and bias terms is generated considering the standard trajectory. The basis term generates the guidance command for nonstandard trajectories to nullify the line-of-sight angular rate at the time of interception to ensure successful interception, and the bias term generates the guidance command for the standard trajectory to enhance the coverage ability of the interceptors. The optimal number and location constraints of the interceptors are theoretically analysed. The effectiveness, applicability, superiority, sensitivity, and robustness of the CBCG law are evaluated through a series of numerical simulations, and its performance is compared with that of the proportional navigation guidance law. The results demonstrate that the CBCG law can ensure that at least one interceptor successfully intercepts the hypersonic vehicle, with high robustness to errors and noise.