Path Following Guidance for Manned-Unmanned Team of Aircraft

To mitigate the risks associated with deploying manned aircraft in contested airspace environments, a cooperative framework involving a manned aircraft (commander) and an unmanned aerial vehicle (wingman) is proposed for following a path which is inside a restricted airspace. A vector field-based guidance framework is developed to generate heading command for the wingman. The proposed vector field comprises two weighted components, the first one facilitates path-following, while the second ensures that the wingman remains within the commander’s designated field-of-view. Coupled with the commanded heading, the speed control for the wingman ensures continuous operation within the commander’s field-of-view. Simulations results present the efficacy of the proposed guidance method.