High-Value Target Escort and Defense Scenario with Differential Subgame Cost

An Escort and Defense Scenario is presented in which a high-value Target maneuvers through a high-risk region while being escorted by a mobile, defensive agent. Along this trajectory, an Attacker may be launched from one of several possible launch locations. If a launch occurs, the three agents play out a Target-Attacker-Defender (TAD) differential game in which the Defender attempts to intercept the Attacker at maximal distance from the Target while the Attacker strives to maneuver as close as possible to the Target. Prior to launch, the Target and Defender strive to preposition themselves in advantageous positions to effectively respond to a potential threat while simultaneously moving towards a safety region. An augmented collocation-based direct optimal control method is developed to solve the escort problem by solving and utilizing the value of the TAD differential subgame at each collocation point while simultaneously optimizing the primary optimal control problem.