Drone relay stations for supporting wireless communication in military operations

Abstract

This paper proposes a concept of drone relay stations for supporting wireless communications in military operations. Communications in military operations are crucial in completing desired missions under highly chaotic situations. Due to dynamic movements of troops, multiple units require wireless communications when they are separated from each other to coordinate the efforts for the mission. Relay stations are often used to enhance wireless signals. Current methods include ground vehicles, helicopters, or satellites to relay wireless signal in military operations. However, these methods have known limitations such as inaccessible areas (mountains, ice roads, etc.), potential exposure to the enemy force, and high operating costs. Hence, this work proposes the concept of drone relay stations to overcome these limitations and explore enabling technologies that have been developed.