Towards Trusted and Efficient UAV-Based Communication

A large number of recent advancements in the technology of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have enabled them to be very useful and effective in many applications in today's society. They demonstrate a high degree of stability and agility in the air. In order for UAVs to perform their various tasks and responsibilities effectively, UAV communication becomes an important component. Furthermore, such communication must be done using trusted strategies and protocols so that the related missions and services are not attacked or compromised in intentional or un-intentional manners. Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) are a collection of autonomous nodes with a dynamic topology. UAVs and MANETs share many common characteristics. Consequently, a group of flying UAVs can be considered a MANET where the individual UAVs are modeled as nodes. In this paper, we analyze the requirements for efficient UAV communication. We also identify the similarities and differences between MANETs and UAV-based networks and protocols. Finally, we discuss the various trust-based protocols and management schemes that can be used in UAV networks and identify UAV applications where such protocols can be adopted.