Comparative Analysis of Guidance Algorithms for the Hyper Velocity Missile and AFTI/F-16

This project has provided me with endless intrigue. In considering the problem of guiding a hyper-velocity missile from a moving platform to a moving target, a common perception said it was just another Kalman Filtration design challenge. I began with lofty intentions of running a full up extended Kalman filter simulation but I became enthralled with the limited work available on the physical limitations of basic guidance algorithms. This became the emphasis of this project. The best filter scheme cannot overcome a guidance algorithms physical limitation. Only with an understanding of these limitations can one effectively integrate a guidance scheme with a Kalman filter. This effort is an exploration of these physical limits for four common guidance algorithms proposed for the HVM. My most untimely PCS to Griffiss AFB, and away from the AFIT resources, forced the construction of an Extended Kalman Filter and the full error sensitivity analysis to be a recommended future effort. Master's thesis.