Modeling Air Combat by a Moving Horizon Influence Diagram Game

The paper describes a multistage influence diagram game for modeling the maneuvering decisions of pilots in oneon-one air combat. The game graphically describes the elements of the decision process, contains a model for the dynamics of the aircraft, and takes into account the pilots ’ preferences under conditions of uncertainty. The pilots’ game optimal control sequences with respect to their preference models are obtained by solving the influence diagram game with a moving horizon control approach. In this approach, the time horizon of the original game is truncated, and a feedback Nash equilibrium of the dynamic game lasting only a limited planning horizon is determined and implemented at each decision stage. To demonstrate the influence diagram game and its aspects, examples with a point mass aircraft model are computed and analyzed. The game model presented in the paper offers a new way to analyze optimal air combat maneuvering and to develop an automated decision making system for selecting combat maneuvers in air combat simulators.