Hierarchical multi‐agent reinforcement learning for multi‐aircraft close‐range air combat

Abstract The close‐range autonomous air combat has gained significant attention from researchers involved in applications related to artificial intelligence (AI). A majority of the previous studies on autonomous air combat were focused on one‐on‐one air combat scenarios, however, the modern air comb...

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Main Authors: Wei‐ren Kong, De‐yun Zhou, Yong‐jie Du, Ying Zhou, Yi‐yang Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023-09-01
Series:IET Control Theory & Applications
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1049/cth2.12413
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author Wei‐ren Kong
De‐yun Zhou
Yong‐jie Du
Ying Zhou
Yi‐yang Zhao
author_facet Wei‐ren Kong
De‐yun Zhou
Yong‐jie Du
Ying Zhou
Yi‐yang Zhao
author_sort Wei‐ren Kong
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The close‐range autonomous air combat has gained significant attention from researchers involved in applications related to artificial intelligence (AI). A majority of the previous studies on autonomous air combat were focused on one‐on‐one air combat scenarios, however, the modern air combat is mostly conducted in formations. With regard to the aforementioned factors, a novel hierarchical maneuvering control architecture is introduced that is applied to the multi‐aircraft close‐range air combat scenario, which can handle air combat scenarios with variable‐size formation. Subsequently, three air combat sub‐tasks are designed, and recurrent soft actor‐critic (RSAC) algorithm combined with competitive self‐play (SP) is incorporated to learn the sub‐strategies. A novel hierarchical multi‐agent reinforcement learning (HMARL) algorithm is proposed to obtain the high‐level strategy for target and sub‐strategy selection. The training performance of the training algorithm of sub‐strategies and high‐level strategy in different air combat scenarios is evaluated. The obtained strategies are analyzed and it is found that the formations exhibit effective cooperative behavior in symmetric and asymmetric scenarios. Finally, the ideas of engineering implementation of the maneuvering control architecture are given. The study provides a solution for future multi‐aircraft autonomous air combat.
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spelling doaj.art-0c6fbc40553140868223752bc4aba6672023-09-01T09:21:24ZengWileyIET Control Theory & Applications1751-86441751-86522023-09-0117131840186210.1049/cth2.12413Hierarchical multi‐agent reinforcement learning for multi‐aircraft close‐range air combatWei‐ren Kong0De‐yun Zhou1Yong‐jie Du2Ying Zhou3Yi‐yang Zhao4Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an ChinaNorthwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an ChinaNorthwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an ChinaNorthwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an ChinaNorthwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an ChinaAbstract The close‐range autonomous air combat has gained significant attention from researchers involved in applications related to artificial intelligence (AI). A majority of the previous studies on autonomous air combat were focused on one‐on‐one air combat scenarios, however, the modern air combat is mostly conducted in formations. With regard to the aforementioned factors, a novel hierarchical maneuvering control architecture is introduced that is applied to the multi‐aircraft close‐range air combat scenario, which can handle air combat scenarios with variable‐size formation. Subsequently, three air combat sub‐tasks are designed, and recurrent soft actor‐critic (RSAC) algorithm combined with competitive self‐play (SP) is incorporated to learn the sub‐strategies. A novel hierarchical multi‐agent reinforcement learning (HMARL) algorithm is proposed to obtain the high‐level strategy for target and sub‐strategy selection. The training performance of the training algorithm of sub‐strategies and high‐level strategy in different air combat scenarios is evaluated. The obtained strategies are analyzed and it is found that the formations exhibit effective cooperative behavior in symmetric and asymmetric scenarios. Finally, the ideas of engineering implementation of the maneuvering control architecture are given. The study provides a solution for future multi‐aircraft autonomous air combat.https://doi.org/10.1049/cth2.12413autonomous air combatartificial intelligencecompetitive self‐playmaneuver decision‐makingmulti‐agent reinforcement learning
spellingShingle Wei‐ren Kong
De‐yun Zhou
Yong‐jie Du
Ying Zhou
Yi‐yang Zhao
Hierarchical multi‐agent reinforcement learning for multi‐aircraft close‐range air combat
IET Control Theory & Applications
autonomous air combat
artificial intelligence
competitive self‐play
maneuver decision‐making
multi‐agent reinforcement learning
title Hierarchical multi‐agent reinforcement learning for multi‐aircraft close‐range air combat
title_full Hierarchical multi‐agent reinforcement learning for multi‐aircraft close‐range air combat
title_fullStr Hierarchical multi‐agent reinforcement learning for multi‐aircraft close‐range air combat
title_full_unstemmed Hierarchical multi‐agent reinforcement learning for multi‐aircraft close‐range air combat
title_short Hierarchical multi‐agent reinforcement learning for multi‐aircraft close‐range air combat
title_sort hierarchical multi agent reinforcement learning for multi aircraft close range air combat
topic autonomous air combat
artificial intelligence
competitive self‐play
maneuver decision‐making
multi‐agent reinforcement learning
url https://doi.org/10.1049/cth2.12413
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AT deyunzhou hierarchicalmultiagentreinforcementlearningformultiaircraftcloserangeaircombat
AT yongjiedu hierarchicalmultiagentreinforcementlearningformultiaircraftcloserangeaircombat
AT yingzhou hierarchicalmultiagentreinforcementlearningformultiaircraftcloserangeaircombat
AT yiyangzhao hierarchicalmultiagentreinforcementlearningformultiaircraftcloserangeaircombat