Ducommun Incorporated > Miltec Capabilities > Miltec Systems
Guidance, Navigation and Control

Guidance, Navigation and Control

Miltec’s GNC experience covers the gamut from guided projectiles, tactical missiles, strategic interceptors and missile targets. The guidance derivation methodologies applied also cover the gamut from classical, robust, and optimal to game theoretic and artificial intelligence. This broad perspective allows us develop both mathematically elegant solutions and “clever” simplified solutions, as a function of the interceptor mission, battlespace, and ultimately cost. Interceptor guidance studies and algorithm development must be performed in light of the performance characteristics of the Inertial Navigation System (INS), seeker/sensor, external data, flight processor, and the limitations of the autopilot and flight control systems. In order to achieve hit-to-kill (HTK), some form of tracking or guidance Kalman filtering is required. Closely spaced objects (threat or decoy) may force the use of multiple objective Kalman filters to aid in the discrimination and target selection process. Miltec has developed a state-of-the-art Navigation Trade-off study tool entitled NAVScat. The Navigation System Covariance Analysis Toolset (NAVScat) is a covariance analysis tool for the design and analysis of unaided, GPS aided, radar-aided, and magnetometer-aided inertial navigation systems. Typically a Kalman Filter is used to provide this fused sensor integration.

Miltec has extensive experience in the design and evaluation of Autopilot Control Systems. Miltec has used this experience to support many existing TBM interceptors, target vehicles, and ATGM missiles. The control systems design and theory varies widely between applications. Many designs are based on classical linear control theory using airframe aerodynamic slopes to derive gains to give the desired response, whereas other designs use nonlinear controllers that employ hot or cold gas thrusters, TVC systems or airvanes to produce the control forces. Miltec personnel have direct experience and expertise with the development, analysis, and testing for optimal control, game theory, linear and nonlinear adaptive control methods. Miltec is also experienced at other control application areas such as: Industrial control, gimbal control, actuation control, and tracking. Our experience extends from full-up development of flight vehicle guidance and control based on these methodologies to evaluation of existing designs within our own high fidelity 6DOF simulations.