Channel modeling and performance analysis for UAV relay systems

In this paper, a multi-hop relay channel model based on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is established by taking into account of the propagation loss, shadowing, and multi-path fading. Based on the proposed channel model, the cascaded propagation loss of relay link and the cascaded probability density function (PDF) of channel fading are derived. Moreover, the theoretical performance of the UAV-based relay system, i.e., the outage probability, bit error rate (BER), and channel capacity, is also analysed and derived. Simulation results show agreement with theoretical results for the hill, mountain, and sea scenarios, indicating the accuracy of both the simulations and derivations.