Choosing strategies for deployment and ensuring the reliability of a UAV swarm to support communications in destruction conditions

The subject matter of the article is the system of communication networks of UAVs (flying networks, FNs), which use LiFi technology for data transmission from the source to the receiver in conditions of physical obstacles and cyber threats, as well as deployment and reliability assurance strategies (DRAS) of FNs. The goal of the work is to develop criteria and algorithms for choosing DRAS of FNs that provide the necessary level of reliability and efficiency under given constraints. The following tasks were solved in the article: systematization of deployment strategies and ensuring the reliability of the flying network; formulation of principles and development of an algorithm for choosing the optimal deployment strategy and ensuring the reliability of FNs; providing recommendations on choosing the optimal deployment strategies and ensuring the reliability of the flying network. The following methods are used: system analysis for choosing the optimal DRAS; theory of reliability and system efficiency. The following results were obtained: the classifier of FNs deployment strategies was expanded due to additional features of repair and maintenance, as well as the presence of cyber attacks; the criteria for choosing deployment strategies and ensuring the reliability of FNs are formulated; an algorithm for choosing the optimal deployment strategy and ensuring the reliability of FNs was developed; the analysis is carried out and an example of the application of the developed algorithms is given to illustrate the step-by-step procedure for choosing a strategy, which is accompanied by calculations of reliability indicators. Conclusions: the proposed sets, criteria, and algorithm for choosing deployment and reliability assurance strategies of FNs enable the substantiation of a set of parameters and planning of the implementation of the optimal (according to the defined criterion) policy for the introduction of an automatic communication support system at critical infrastructure objects under conditions of destruction and cyber influence, as well as increase efficiency (minimize cost) of the use of flying networks.