Second order fading statistics of UAV networks

Abstract

Unmanned Ariel Vehicle (UAV) networks are a preeminent solution for many military and civilian applications. In this study, we analyze the second order fading statistics of Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground links of UAV networks. More precisely, we consider a cluster of UAVs to analyze the UAV-to-UAV and UAV-to-Ground fading statistics. Therein, we first form a geometrical model for the analysis of two shape factors: (1) angular spread and (2) elevation constriction. For UAV-to-UAV link, we observe the fading statistics at cluster head. Whereas, for the link between UAV and Ground Station, we observe the radio propagation characteristics at ground station. Using angular spread and elevation constriction as primary parameters, we then characterize Level Crossing Rate, Average Fade Duration, Envelope Correlation and Coherence Distance for both scenarios. Finally, the analytical results are verified by performing extensive simulations.