Design of a Virtual Fighter Pilot and Simulation Environment for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

This paper proposes a system to support the next generation of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) for use in autonomous aerial combat. The system includes a decision making scheme, positional prediction of targets, an aircraft model analysis, and a basic fighter maneuvering (BFM)-based combat guidance law designed to generate effective and efficient combat maneuvers. A one-on-one combat simulation environment is set up, and the virtual fighter pilot (VFP) combat simulation results are addressed. The VFP proposed in this research follows the mindset of an actual human pilot, and all the subcomponents that reflect the thought processes are modularized. The designed BFM-based aerial combat guidance law provides suboptimal combat maneuvers in real time. In order for a fighter jet to attain advantageous positions in aerial combat, it must have the ability to carry out high agility maneuvers. Therefore, a V-n diagram and an energy-maneuverability chart analysis are used to determine the limits of the aircraft’s flight operable regions and to find the corner velocity of the aircraft model for the maximum rate of turn. Based on the measured combat geometry, the VFP carries out decision making processes and assesses situations in terms of scoring functions. In order to preoccupy advantageous geometry in combat, the system estimates the future positions of the target using velocity estimation-based target prediction. The modularized VFP is designed using a MATLAB/Simulink, and its simulation environment is designed based on an F-16 model. The performance of the designed VFP is verified, and through animation, the maneuvers of the UCAVs are visualized in real time.