Covert Multi-Relay Communications Under Proactive UAV Jamming in Battlefield Scenarios

This study explores a hidden communication
network comprising several relays, allowing a ground
source and destination to avoid being detected by an
overhead unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). By integrating
a multi-relay system utilizing half-duplex decode-andforward
relays and incorporating Nakagami-m fading for
the ground-to-UAV links, we establish closed-form and
semi-analytical formulas to measure both outage probability
of ground networks and detection probability of
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Through numerical examples,
we identify crucial design trade-offs, including the
UAV’s use of jamming to mask ground communications and
leveraging multi-relay systems for improved covertness via
spatial and frequency diversity.