State-dependent optimality of a singular subarc (Q1099400)

A simplified horizontal model for optimal avoidance of a coasting guided missile by a constant speed aircraft is investigated. The missile is assumed to be guided by proportional navigation. In this model the optimal control appears linearly in the equations implying either a bang- bang type or a singular control behavior. It is demonstrated that the obvious candidate for a singular trajectory, the ``tail-chase'', is optimal only beyond a critical range. For shorter ranges such a geometry serves as a ``dispersal line''. A physical interpretation of the phenomenon is given and the dependence of the critical range on the missile parameters is discussed.