Shoot–Shoot–Look for an Air Defense System

The common SHOOT-LOOK-SHOOT method, in which a second round of defenders is launched based on the kill assessment of the first round of defenders, is usually efficient in defending strategic or tactical targets against a salvo attack. However, using this method is not always practical due to time constraints. In the presented study, the alternative SHOOT-SHOOT-LOOK method is investigated, and an algorithm for its implementation is derived. Solutions to three main problems that arise while applying this method are presented: finding the optimal locations of the defending missiles for the second SHOOT stage, updating the locations of the defenders during the LOOK stage, and deriving the optimal allocation plan of the defending missiles to the attacking missiles. The solutions are based on a probabilistic analysis of the expected miss distance, between each pair of defender and attacker, which is dependent on the guidance law of the defender and geometry of the engagement. The results show that the algorithm can increase the probability of the defended target surviving the salvo attack, or alternatively, it can reduce the number of defenders needed to reach a given level of protection.