Distributed SDN-Enabled Self-Healing UAV Swarms for Adaptive Network Control

UAV swarms have become increasingly valuable due to their adaptability in complex scenarios, yet managing these swarms centrally in harsh environments remains challenging. This paper presents an autonomous and distributed UAV swarm framework designed to improve operational resilience against network disruptions, specifically jamming attacks. The swarm structure utilizes a head UAV orbited by subordinate UAVs that maintain communication through periodic heartbeat signals, monitoring packet delivery ratios (PDR). Adaptive relay ranges, influenced by UAV orbit radius adjustments, significantly enhance communication robustness. The proposed system offers self-healing and jammer avoidance capabilities while maintaining Software Defined Networking (SDN) functionalities that are convenient for operators. Simulation results confirm substantial improvements in latency, jitter, packet delivery ratio, and throughput under jamming conditions.