Nonlinear autopilot design for interceptors with tail fins and pulse thrusters via θ–D approach

The missile autopilot for an interceptor with tail fins and pulse thrusters is designed via the θ-D approach. The nonlin- ear dynamic model of the pitch and yaw motion of the missile is transformed into a linear-like structure with state-dependent coef- ficient （SDC） matrices. Based on the linear-like structure, a θ-D feedback controller is designed to steer the missile to track refer- ence acceleration commands. A sufficient condition that ensures the asymptotic stability of the tracking system is given based on Lyapunov＇s theorem. Numerical results show that the proposed autopilot achieves good tracking performance and the closed-loop tracking system is asymptotically stable.