GUIDANCE SYSTEM APPLICATION TO MISSILE-X BASING ALTERNATIVES

G. B. Green and L. N. Jenks

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	The Missile-X concept is based on the achievement of post-attack survivability. This is accomplished by preservation of missile location uncertainty through continuous or random missile/launcher movement which obscures observation by hostile forces. Three basing concepts have been developed to accommodate this periodic movement: (1) shuffling missile/launcher and missile/launcher simulators among a number of vertical shelters; (2) random movement of missile/launcher along a covered trench to presurveyed launch sites (Ground Mobile); (3) moving missiles via aircraft to random remote bases with the capability of air launch (Air Mobile). The first two modes are land launch, the missile guidance being achieved through use of a self-contained inertial guidance system. The Air Mobile guidance is accomplished with the same inertial system, however, augmentation is needed to obtain an acceptable accuracy. The guidance problem in the Air Mobile case is the determination of initial conditions at launch-estimation of position, velocity and alignment to tens of meters, several centimeters per second, and a few arc seconds, respectively, after up to 6 hours of cruise. The problem is made difficult by the uncertainty of the local gravity field. Several schemes have been investigated as a means to solve this problem; the basic Missile-X inertial guidance aided by: (1) doppler/altimeter radars with and without improved gravity data during cruise; (2) radio ground beacons during cruise; and (3) radio ground beacons during the missile boost phase. The use of Star Trackers is also considered. Results show that a combination of all these (except the Star Tracker) would provide a reliable system with a reasonable missile accuracy from an ensemble point of view. The study describes a specific configuration for such a system-for both land launch and air launch.
Published in:	NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation, Volume 26, Number 2
Pages:	90 - 104
Cite this article:	Green, G. B., Jenks, L. N., "GUIDANCE SYSTEM APPLICATION TO MISSILE-X BASING ALTERNATIVES", NAVIGATION: Journal of The Institute of Navigation, Vol. 26, No. 2, Summer 1979, pp. 90-104.
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