Cooperative Stand-off Tracking of Moving Targets by a Team of Autonomous Aircraft

Guidance laws are developed for tracking of a ground vehicle by a two-vehicle autonomous aircraft team. Guidance for the team is accomplished by construction of Lyapunov vector fields, which provide global stability to limit cycles (loiter circles) over the ground vehicle target. Inclusion of ground vehicle velocity produces assured stand-off separation from the target, and a second Lyapunov vector field produces advantageous phasing of aircraft to follow unpredicted target motion. Simulations including saturation limits on commanded aircraft turn rate and air speed indicate the utility of these guidance laws in following an agile target.