Abstract: Cooperative operation for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is an important development trendency of combat mode of future UAVs. A cooperative tactical planning method based on improved A^* algorithm is proposed for multi-UAVs. The proposed method is used to enhance the mission execution capability of multi-UAV system, improve the overall combat effectiveness, and achieve the efficient resource allocation and scheduling. An iterative optimization scheme for operational goals at the campaign and tactical levels is presented from the two aspects of offline planning and replanning. A mathematical model of formation cooperative operation is established, which takes the time coordination and collision coordination cost of formation members as variables and obtains the comprehensive formation objective function under multiple constraints. Moreover, an improved A^* algorithm is developed to address the formation cooperative combat routes by employing the multi-layer variable step search strategy and the single step search method in complex combat environment. The simulation experiments were performed by using the improved A^* algorithm and the traditional A^* algorithm. The simulated results show that the tactical planning method can complete the combat task well and the improved A^* algorithm can obtain the better routes, which proves the effectiveness of the algorithm.

Key words: unmannedaerialvehicle, taskallocation, collaborativetacticalplanning, A^*algorithm