Deviated pursuit-based nonlinear cooperative salvo guidance using finite-time consensus.

This paper employs a nonlinear cooperative deviated pursuit guidance strategy, for multiple interceptors, to ensure salvo interception. The problem of ensuring salvo is transformed into one of achieving consensus in time-to-go within a finite time, over a directed cycle. By using a deviated pursuit-based guidance approach, the computation of exact time-to-go is facilitated based on interceptors' present states, thereby avoiding the need for estimation of time-to-go and small-angle approximations. Greater flexibility in controlling consensus value and time can be achieved by the choice of heterogeneous gains in the consensus algorithm. The stability and performance of the proposed nonlinear guidance are analysed using Lyapunov-based methods. A sensitivity analysis of time-to-go with respect to various engagement parameters is also carried out. Effectiveness of the proposed salvo guidance strategy is demonstrated through numerical simulations on constant speed, and also realistic, time-varying speed interceptor models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]