Guided Weapons - a Survey

Authors:

  • Magnus Evestedt
  • Boban Pavlovic

Publish date: 2023-12-11

Report number: FOI-R--5517--SE

Pages: 50

Written in: Swedish

Keywords:

  • guided weapons
  • trends
  • guidance
  • navigation
  • control
  • GNC
  • seekers

Abstract

The research and development trends for guided weapons are regularly surveyed within the research project Guided weapons and missile technology. In this report, current technology and product development within industrial and academic research programmes are described, focusing on methods and algorithms within the areas of guidance, navigation, control, and seeker technology. Loitering munitions are not addressed. Guided weapons are currently developed for longer range, higher speed, better manoeuvrability, and higher precision. The design of a missile is, however, a compromise between several requirements. The development of hypersonic weapons is an evident research trend within the field of guided weapons. Hypersonic weapons are designed for long range, short time of flight, reduced response time for missile defence systems, and increased manoeuvrability. Within the field of navigation, inertial sensors are further developed for increased performance, and satellite navigation systems are becoming more robust against jamming and spoofing. Increased reliability can be achieved by combining inertial navigation systems with systems for image-based navigation and terrain-referenced navigation. Integrated guidance and control is anticipated to be used more often to increase missile performance by optimising both functions simultaneously. Machine learning is the use of statistical methods to create mathematical models of systems, based on data. Machine learning occurs increasingly in the scientific literature as a tool for guidance and control, as well as for seeker technology.