New Results in Optimal Missile Avoidance Analysis

Optimal missile avoidance of a constant speed aircraft from a coasting missile of first-order dynamics, guided by proportional navigation is analysed in the plane. This model allows the investigation of the "missile outrunning" and "end game evasion" maneuvers in the same engagement. Three regions of different optimal avoidance strategies are identified. All strategies are compromises in satisfying different optimal evasion principles: bleeding energy from the missile and minimizing of the closing velocity (principles of "missile outrunning"), and a final maneuver of a critical duration, perpendicular to the line of sight (principles of optimal "end game evasion"). Due to the missile\´s aerodynamic drag, the aircraft is able to reduce missile maneuverability by an "outrunning" maneuver so that in the "end-game" a larger miss distance can be generated.