Current status and prospects of guidance techniques for intercepting hypersonic glide vehicles: A review

Hypersonic vehicles present formidable challenges to existing air and missile defence systems due to their extreme velocity, extended-range strike capability, and exceptional maneuverability, driving the need for advanced guidance technologies of interceptors. To address the requirements for defensive operations against hypersonic vehicles, this review focuses on hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) as the primary object of study. Their flight characteristics are simulated, and critical interception challenges are analyzed. Then, key technological advancements in interceptor guidance, including midcourse guidance techniques, mid-terminal guidance handover, and terminal guidance laws, are reviewed, providing a comparative analysis of their respective strengths and limitations. Finally, the research summarizes the pivotal scientific problems confronting interceptor guidance technology and provides prospects for the research directions of related technologies. These findings provide a valuable reference for subsequent research on interceptor guidance technology and facilitate the development of next-generation aerospace defence architectures.