Intelligent UAV swarm key agreement survey: Systematic taxonomy, cryptographic automaton and quantum resistance

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) swarms are vital for intelligent applications that require robust key agreement protocols to address dynamic network security challenges. This paper systematically reviews protocols for intelligent UAV swarms, addressing the gaps in existing research. It classifies UAV and embedded protocols based on autonomy and computational capabilities, defines security requirements, and establishes threat models for swarm dynamics. Protocols are categorized into three architectures: end-to-end for ground-UAV communication, planar multi-UAV for decentralized peer-to-peer management, and hybrid hierarchical systems for large swarms. A core contribution is the cryptographic automaton, an adaptive framework for autonomous security management that integrates dynamic key generation, context-aware adjustments, and quantum resistance to handle real-time topology changes and emerging threats. The paper merges structural classifications with threat analysis to identify solution gaps and propose scalable, cryptographic automaton-based, and quantum-resistant directions. It establishes a foundation for secure UAV swarm key agreement, with future research focusing on refining the automaton for practical applications.