A Comparison of Command and Control Communication Protocols for Unmanned Aircraft: STANAG 4586 vs. MAVLink

The communication protocol used to command and control (C2) unmanned aircraft from the ground is vital in regards to the overall system’s architecture and capabilities. It directly affects the degree of situational awareness available on the ground through telemetry and the capabilities to remotely guide and control the unmanned aircraft. Consequently, the C2 link protocol may be a limiting factor in regards to system capabilities and autonomy and and may also directly or indirectly impact the design of onboard systems such as the autopilot. In this work, we analyze and compare two well-known C2 link protocols in regards to these aspects. We specifically focus on the requirements of the protocols concerning guidance, control mode design and mission transfer and highlight certain factors that conceptually limit interoperability between the two C2 link protocols. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of both C2 link protocols and outline potential improvements for both. With this work, we provide our perspective towards the development of future C2 communication protocols and the interoperable design of unmanned aircraft systems with extended autonomous capabilities.