Feedback Linearization-Based Guidance with Zero-Dynamics Correction for Guaranteed Interception
For missile guidance engineers, this work addresses a known limitation of IOL guidance (unstable zero dynamics) with a practical correction, though it is an incremental improvement over existing methods.
This paper proposes a modified input-output feedback linearization (IOL) guidance law that corrects zero dynamics to ensure range convergence, achieving reduced miss distance and improved reliability over baseline IOL and proportional navigation in Monte Carlo simulations.
This paper develops a guidance law for nonlinear interception using input-output feedback linearization (IOL). The engagement between a pursuer and an evader is modeled using point-mass dynamics, and a baseline IOL-based guidance law is constructed by regulating the angular rates of the line-of-sight (LOS) vector. While this approach yields stable input-output behavior, it does not constrain the internal (zero) dynamics of the system, which can result in non-intercepting trajectories despite successful regulation of the LOS rates. To address this limitation, a modified IOL-based guidance law is proposed that incorporates a correction mechanism to enforce convergence of the range. The resulting formulation ensures that LOS alignment corresponds to a closing trajectory, thereby enabling convergence of the pursuer to the evader for a broad class of initial engagement geometries. The proposed method retains the computational simplicity and real-time implementability of feedback linearization while improving closed-loop performance relative to classical guidance laws. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations over a wide range of initial conditions are conducted to evaluate the proposed method. The results demonstrate improved reliability, reduced miss distance, and consistent convergence compared to the baseline IOL and classical proportional navigation.