UAV communication issues: Introduction

Abstract

The absence of a pilot onboard an unmanned aircraft necessitates the development and application of robust, effective, and secure communication technologies that will enable unmanned aircraft to unmanned aircraft, unmanned aircraft to ground or mother ship communications, and unmanned aircraft to air traffic controller communications. Unmanned aircraft control and communication issues are tightly coupled and they are treated as such, since the “Achilles heel” of UAVs is controlling them when they are out of range.