ABSTRACT
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can help to supply the information technology connectivity that is increasingly being demanded by technology advancements on the battlefield. Autonomous vehicles are well suited for the communication mission, which is often mundane and tedious. The advent of lightweight construction materials, high energy-density lithium battery technology, and more efficient microprocessors increase UAV capability (Department of Defense 2013). The larger payload capacities and longer endurance of modern UAVs combined with communication payloads that are more capable and efficient and weigh less make them more suitable to the communications relay role than their predecessors. UAVs are also more flexible than more permanent infrastructure such as relay and cellular towers, and they can be quickly repositioned to support warfighters on the move.
