A Kalman Filter for Tracking Constant Thrust Theater Ballistic Missiles

Abstract

Tracking Theater Ballistic Missiles (TBMs) during boost phase is becoming a requirement for some engagement strategies. The requirement for boost phase tracking can be based on the needs of an early launch doctrine or can be motivated by the availability of a cue provided by an airborne search and track infrared/laser system. The standard filters require that the target being tracked have, respectively, constant velocity or constant acceleration. If a TBM does not have constant acceleration during boost a filter may not provide valid estimates of the TBM's position and velocity and, as a result, may not be able to maintain track. TBM boost profiles assuming a constant thrust and a constant rate of fuel consumption show a hyperbolically increasing acceleration. This paper presents and analyses a Kalman filter designed to track a missile experiencing hyperbolically increasing acceleration during boost phase. For purposes of comparison, the tracking results of an alpha-beta filter are provided for a general class of TBMs representative of the threat set.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA355719

Entities

People

  • Demetrios Serakos

Organizations

  • Naval Surface Warfare Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Boost Phase
  • Data Sets
  • Equations
  • Equations Of State
  • Errors
  • Filters
  • Fuel Consumption
  • Kalman Filters
  • Measurement
  • Noise
  • Rate Of Consumption
  • Specific Impulse
  • Steady State
  • Theater Ballistic Missiles
  • Two Dimensional
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Adaptive Control and Estimation with Uncertainty in Dynamic Systems.
  • Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy