In support of the Navys Tactical Tomahawk efforts, a tool is to be designed which will generate optimal missile loiter plans, expediently and autonomously, for examination and utilization by field commanders and operators. The plans will incorporate any known constraints such as no-fly zones, communication coverage zones and mandatory targets as well as preferences such as minimizing time-to-targets, GPS coverage zones and loiter time. The Phase I task will employ simulation and classic Dynamic Programming (DP) to solve a simplified version of the general loiter problem, restricting the number of missiles, targets and constraints. Phase II will build directly on the approach developed and validated in Phase I, employing a Neurodynamic Programming (NDP)/Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) algorithm to allow for generalized scenarios involving multiple missiles and targets and providing a convenient and computationally realizable solution. The resulting loiter plans could be displayed on a geo-spatial map with color-coding representing good-better-best preferred loiter patterns. The field commander/user could then be provided with an interactive device that would allow for easy adjustment of these patterns for constraints that are not known in time to be accounted for during the automated process or which are not formulated in the NDP/MILP algorithm. Benefit The software capability to be developed under this research will help to greatly reduce the burden on field commanders/operators in complicated theater missile situations. It will provide a quick, intelligent and automated preferred loiter plan, incorporating all known situational constraints and parameters into the computation. This technology will directly support the goals of the Tactical Tomahawk program. This algorithm could potentially be applied to many different areas requiring complicated planning logistics. Examples include law enforcement, both autonomous systems and police cruisers and battlefield resource allocation with UAVs or other limited resources. Additionally, optimal planning algorithms may be applicable to meteorological surveying, marine biology studies, minefield deployment (in particular with the current mobile mine technology) and air transportation. Keywords Tactical Tomahawk, Path Planning, loiter plan, loitering missiles, Optimization, Neurodynamic Programming, Cruise Missile, Dynamic programming
