Cooperative aircraft defense from an attacking missile

This paper addresses a three-body pursuit-evasion scenario where an Attacker missile using Pure Pursuit guidance pursues a Target aircraft and a Defender missile launched by a wingman aims at intercepting the Attacker before it reaches the aircraft. An optimal control problem is posed which captures the goal of the Target-Defender team, namely, to maximize the separation between Target and Attacker at the instant of capture of the Attacker by the Defender. The optimal control law provides the heading angles for the Target and the Defender team.