Real Time, Neurodynamic Programming Optimization For the Planning of Multi-Missile/Multi-Target Loiter Patterns

In support of the Navy's Tactical Tomahawk efforts, a tool is to be designed which will generate optimal missile loiter plans, expediently and autonomously, for examination and utilization by field commanders and operators. The plans will incorporate anyknown constraints such as no-fly zones, communication coverage zones and mandatory targets as well as preferences such as minimizing time-to-targets, GPS coverage zones and loiter time. The Phase I task will employ simulation and classic DynamicProgramming (DP) to solve a simplified version of the general loiter problem, restricting the number of missiles, targets and constraints. Phase II will build directly on the approach developed and validated in Phase I, employing a Neurodynamic Programming(NDP)/Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) algorithm to allow for generalized scenarios involving multiple missiles and targets and providing a convenient and computationally realizable solution. The resulting loiter plans could be displayed on ageo-spatial map with color-coding representing good-better-best preferred loiter patterns. The field commander/user could then be provided with an interactive device that would allow for easy adjustment of these patterns for constraints that are not knownin time to be accounted for during the automated process or which are not formulated in the NDP/MILP algorithm.