Secure UAV Communication with Cooperative Jamming and Trajectory Control (1812.06813v1)

Abstract: This paper presents a new cooperative jamming approach to secure the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication by leveraging jamming from other nearby UAVs to defend against the eavesdropping. In particular, we consider a two-UAV scenario when one UAV transmitter delivers the confidential information to a ground node (GN), and the other UAV jammer cooperatively sends artificial noise (AN) to confuse the ground eavesdropper for protecting the confidentiality of the data transmission. By exploiting the fully-controllable mobility, the two UAVs can adaptively adjust their locations over time (a.k.a. trajectories) to facilitate the secure communication and cooperative jamming. We assume that the two UAVs perfectly know the GN's location and partially know the eavesdropper's location {\emph{a-priori}}. Under this setup, we maximize the average secrecy rate from the UAV transmitter to the GN over one particular time period, by optimizing the UAVs' trajectories, jointly with their communicating/jamming power allocations. Although the formulated problem is non-convex, we propose an efficient solution by applying the techniques of alternating optimization and successive convex approximation (SCA).

• The paper introduces a two-UAV cooperative jamming system that integrates trajectory control with power allocation to enhance communication security.
• It employs alternating optimization with successive convex approximation to tackle the non-convex secrecy rate maximization challenge.
• Numerical results indicate significant improvements in secrecy rates compared to traditional fixed power and trajectory control methods.

Secure UAV Communication with Cooperative Jamming and Trajectory Control

The research presented in the paper focuses on enhancing the security of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication systems against eavesdropping through an innovative cooperative jamming strategy that integrates trajectory control and power allocation. In particular, the paper examines a two-UAV framework wherein a UAV transmitter communicates sensitive information to a ground node (GN), and a second UAV is used to send artificial noise to disrupt potential eavesdroppers.

Key Contributions

1. Two-UAV Cooperative Jamming System: The paper investigates a scenario where one UAV acts as the transmitter, and another serves as a jammer. The jammer broadcasts artificial noise to confound eavesdroppers, thereby enhancing the confidentiality of the transmitted data.
2. Trajectory Optimization: The UAVs exploit their mobility by adjusting flight paths to maximize the secrecy rate from the transmitter to the GN. The paper proposes optimizing the trajectories alongside power allocation to maximize secure communication over a specified period.
3. Non-convex Optimization Solution: Addressing the non-convex nature of the secrecy rate maximization problem, the researchers integrate alternating optimization with successive convex approximation techniques to derive an efficient solution.

Strong Numerical Insights

The researchers provide compelling numerical results, demonstrating the potential of their approach to significantly improve the secrecy rate compared to existing methods. By using cooperative jamming and trajectory design, their method outperforms solutions that rely solely on trajectory control or fixed power allocation schemes.

Implications and Future Directions

The research highlights the efficacy of utilizing UAV mobility for improved communication security, contributing to advancements in physical-layer security strategies. This paper opens avenues for further exploration in multi-UAV setups and MIMO systems where enhanced techniques could address larger networks and more complex communication security needs.

Conclusion

The paper's contribution lies in the strategic integration of jamming, trajectory optimization, and power allocation, offering an effective means of safeguarding UAV communications. The approach underscores the value of leveraging UAV flexibility in mitigating eavesdropping threats, suggesting a paradigm shift in secure communication tactics in air-to-ground scenarios. Going forward, examining real-world implementations and scalability in larger networks will be instrumental in broadening the application of these methodologies in secure UAV-enabled systems.