Mode-switching cooperative defense strategy for the orbit pursuit-evasion-defense game

This paper presents a mode-switching collaborative defense strategy for spacecraft pursuit-evasion-defense scenarios. In these scenarios, the pursuer tries to avoid the defender while capturing the evader, while the evader and defender form an alliance to prevent the pursuer from achieving its goal. First, the behavioral modes of the pursuer, including attack and avoidance modes, were established using differential game theory. These modes are then recognized by an interactive multiple model-matching algorithm (IMM), that uses several smooth variable structure filters to match the modes of the pursuer and update their probabilities in real time. Based on the linear-quadratic optimization theory, combined with the results of strategy identification, a two-way cooperative optimal strategy for the defender and evader is proposed, where the evader aids the defender to intercept the pursuer by performing luring maneuvers. Simulation results show that the interactive multi-model algorithm based on several smooth variable structure filters perform well in the strategy identification of the pursuer, and the cooperative defense strategy based on strategy identification has good interception performance when facing pursuers, who are able to flexibly adjust their game objectives. • The behavior pattern of the pursuer is modeled by differential game theory. • Based on the optimal control theory, the cooperative defense strategy for each mode of the pursuer is proposed. • An interactive multi-model algorithm is proposed to recognize the pattern of the pursuer.