Decentralized Cooperative Guidance for Time-constrained Rendezvous with Non-Accelerating Targets

This paper addresses cooperative guidance for multiple interceptors targeting fast-moving non-accelerating targets. It proposes a strategy using arbitrary time consensus to establish unanimous agreement on interceptors' time-to-go values early on. This parameter is crucial for successful simultaneous target interception. The paper introduces two salvo guidance strategies based on deviated pursuit and true proportional navigation (TPN), which are modified using a definitive consensus protocol to achieve consensus on time-to-go values. By integrating this consensus mechanism into the guidance laws, interceptors can maneuver to adjust trajectories to rendezvous with targets. The paper also emphasizes collaborative decision-making through neighbor-to-neighbor communication to enhance overall guidance performance. Extensive numerical simulations validate the proposed approach, high-lighting its ability to achieve simultaneous target interception consistently and emphasizing the importance of cooperative time-constrained guidance for successful mission outcomes.