and surveillance, target strike, communication relay, electronic interference, battlefield
evaluation, and so on [7, 8].
UAV cluster combat usually refers to hundreds of thousands of small, fast, and
powerful UAVs in the battlefield airspace, simulating cluster behaviors such as bee
colonies, fish schools, and ant colonies to construct bionics formations. Interactive
communication is carried out through various channels such as combat data link systems, tactical radio systems, and communication relay networks. They rely on
advanced technologies such as cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence to
conduct operational coordination and carry out strategic deterrence, campaign confrontation, and tactics action in military operations [9, 10].
UAV cluster combat has multiple advantages [11]. (a) Diversity functions: With
different equipment for different drones, a UAV formation can possess multiple
functions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, electronic interference, strike, and
evaluation; (b) the effectiveness of combat: a UAV formation can attack one target
simultaneously from different directions, or strike against multiple targets at the same
time; (c) group’s invulnerability: When a certain drone in the formation fails or is
destroyed by the enemy, the formation can adjust the task division and use another
drone to replace it to ensure that the entire formation can continue to perform the task.
There are also some problems in UAV cluster combat that need to be solved [12]:
(a) formation flight control technology: When performing certain tasks, the UAV
formation needs to change the structure of the formation in real time according to the
mission requirements during the flight, which poses a great challenge to the controller;
(b) anti-collision and obstacle avoidance technology: When a drone in a formation is
disturbed, or in the process of turning maneuver or at high speed, there is the possibility
of collision; (c) track planning problem: The UAV formation not only needs offline
route planning to avoid known threats and obstacles, but also needs to renew the track
in real time during the flight to avoid emerging threats and obstacles.
5 Conclusions
Same as drones, unmanned combat vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, and unmanned
underwater vehicles have also achieved great development. With the further breakthrough of key technologies such as modularity, interoperability, intelligence, and
autonomy, in the future, unmanned systems can do almost anything that a manned
system can do, and they can do it better. There is no doubt that the future battlefield will
be dominated by unmanned combat systems and will present cluster, threedimensional, intelligent, and synergistic features. Therefore, in order to effectively
cope with the future intelligent warfare, we need to plan well in advance, rationally
arrange, and vigorously develop unmanned combat systems such as drones that are
suitable for China’s national conditions, and ensure that our army can catch up with
Western powers in this new field, and further, walk in the forefront of the world.
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evaluation, and so on [7, 8].
UAV cluster combat usually refers to hundreds of thousands of small, fast, and
powerful UAVs in the battlefield airspace, simulating cluster behaviors such as bee
colonies, fish schools, and ant colonies to construct bionics formations. Interactive
communication is carried out through various channels such as combat data link systems, tactical radio systems, and communication relay networks. They rely on
advanced technologies such as cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence to
conduct operational coordination and carry out strategic deterrence, campaign confrontation, and tactics action in military operations [9, 10].
UAV cluster combat has multiple advantages [11]. (a) Diversity functions: With
different equipment for different drones, a UAV formation can possess multiple
functions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, electronic interference, strike, and
evaluation; (b) the effectiveness of combat: a UAV formation can attack one target
simultaneously from different directions, or strike against multiple targets at the same
time; (c) group’s invulnerability: When a certain drone in the formation fails or is
destroyed by the enemy, the formation can adjust the task division and use another
drone to replace it to ensure that the entire formation can continue to perform the task.
There are also some problems in UAV cluster combat that need to be solved [12]:
(a) formation flight control technology: When performing certain tasks, the UAV
formation needs to change the structure of the formation in real time according to the
mission requirements during the flight, which poses a great challenge to the controller;
(b) anti-collision and obstacle avoidance technology: When a drone in a formation is
disturbed, or in the process of turning maneuver or at high speed, there is the possibility
of collision; (c) track planning problem: The UAV formation not only needs offline
route planning to avoid known threats and obstacles, but also needs to renew the track
in real time during the flight to avoid emerging threats and obstacles.
5 Conclusions
Same as drones, unmanned combat vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, and unmanned
underwater vehicles have also achieved great development. With the further breakthrough of key technologies such as modularity, interoperability, intelligence, and
autonomy, in the future, unmanned systems can do almost anything that a manned
system can do, and they can do it better. There is no doubt that the future battlefield will
be dominated by unmanned combat systems and will present cluster, threedimensional, intelligent, and synergistic features. Therefore, in order to effectively
cope with the future intelligent warfare, we need to plan well in advance, rationally
arrange, and vigorously develop unmanned combat systems such as drones that are
suitable for China’s national conditions, and ensure that our army can catch up with
Western powers in this new field, and further, walk in the forefront of the world.
Research on the Development and Application of Unmanned Aerial …
529