UAV Optimal Guidance in Wind Fields Using ZEM/ZEV With Generalized Performance Index

This article presents an optimal guidance approach for unmanned aerial vehicle navigation between two given points in 3D considering the wind influence. The proposed cost function to be minimized involves the weighting of the travel time and the control energy. An analytical expression is derived for the optimal cost yielding a fourth-order polynomial, whose positive real roots correspond to the optimal travel times. The optimization problem is shown to be equivalent to the zero-effort-miss/zero-effort-velocity optimal guidance approach for the case of a constant wind acceleration. Case studies for rendezvous and intercept problems are shown through simulation examples for different wind conditions.