Multi-Interceptor Hypothesis Assignment for Maneuverable Target Interception
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Solution Overview
Problem
Defending against highly maneuverable missiles or targets is challenging due to the high cost and engineering difficulties of developing interceptors that must be more maneuverable than the targets, making it expensive and impractical to maintain a maneuverability advantage.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that use multiple interceptors, each with less maneuverability than the target, collaboratively intercepting by assigning and updating target maneuver hypotheses based on the target's state information, allowing for effective interception at a lower cost by distributing the interceptive capability across multiple less expensive systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If interceptors are made more maneuverable than highly maneuverable targets, then interception reliability is improved, but cost and engineering complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the interception task among multiple interceptors, each assigned a specific target maneuver hypothesis. Instead of one highly complex interceptor handling all possible target maneuvers, multiple simpler interceptors each handle a portion of the hypothesis space, reducing individual device complexity while maintaining overall reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of interceptor maneuverability from being uniformly high across all interceptors to being moderate or lower, compensated by increasing the number of interceptors and using intelligent hypothesis assignment to achieve reliable interception without requiring each interceptor to be highly maneuverable
2Device complexity
If multiple interceptors are deployed with less maneuverability than the target, then cost is reduced, but interception reliability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis to generate multiple target maneuver hypotheses before interceptor deployment. Each hypothesis represents a predicted target maneuver pattern, allowing interceptors to be pre-configured with specific interception strategies, thereby improving reliability without requiring high individual interceptor maneuverability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from target state information to dynamically assign and update hypotheses for interceptors. As target behavior becomes more predictable or changes, the hypothesis assignments are updated, allowing the system to adapt and maintain high interception reliability even with less maneuverable interceptors
3Device complexity
If a single highly maneuverable interceptor is used, then system complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different target maneuvers decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the adaptability requirement across multiple interceptors, each specialized for specific target maneuver hypotheses. This segmentation allows the overall system to be highly adaptable to various target behaviors while each individual interceptor remains relatively simple, achieving both low device complexity and high adaptability at the system level
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for intercepting a moving target by a plurality of interceptors that individually have insufficient capability to achieve intercept. An electronic processor can receive information corresponding to a state of the moving target at a first time. The electronic processor can determine a plurality of hypotheses for the future maneuvers of the moving target. The hypotheses can be based in part on the state of the moving target at the first time and the location of any defended assets. The electronic processor can assign a respective target maneuver hypothesis or set of hypotheses to each of a plurality of interceptors. The electronic processor can assign firing times and/or initial guidance commands to each interceptor. The electronic processor can control each interceptor to maneuver such that the moving target is intercepted, based on the respective target maneuver hypotheses.