Simulating Autonomous Cruise Missile Swarm Behaviors in an Anti-Access Area Denial (A2AD) Environment
Abstract
The increasing A2AD threat imposed by the modern IADS, coupled with the decreasing advantage provided by high-end stealth platforms, has prompted Air Force senior leaders to invest in radically changing the nature of air power. A prominent element of this new vision is weapon swarming, addresses this challenge by overwhelming the IADS with huge numbers of attritable aerial assets emboldened by autonomous capabilities. This research proposes a framework for classifying the different levels of autonomy along three independent dimensions-namely ability to act alone, ability to cooperate, and ability to adapt. A virtual combat model is constructed using the AFSIM in order to simulate the engagement between a blue strike package, featuring a manned bomber and an autonomous cruise missile swarm, and a red IADS. The influence of varying levels of autonomy on the strike package's performance is evaluated by using the autonomy framework as the basis for a designed experiment. Analyzing the results reveals which dimensions and levels of autonomy are most impactful in promoting survivability and lethality for this simulated scenario.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1176863
Entities
People
- Kyle W Goggins
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology