Cluster-Head-Driven UAV Relaying with Recursive Maximum Minimum Distance using CRANs

In this letter, a C-RAN-type cluster-head-driven uplink model for multiple-antenna Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) relaying schemes, which enables joint Maximum Likelihood (ML) symbol detection in the UAV cluster-head and the selection of UAV sources to communicate with each other aided by UAV-based relays, {is presented. In this context,} a relay selection technique, named Cluster-Head-Driven Best-Link (CHD-Best-Link), that employs cluster-head buffers and physical-layer network coding, {is devised}. Then, a recursive maximum minimum distance relay selection strategy that exploits time-correlated channels and equips the CHD-Best-Link scheme is developed. Simulations illustrate that CHD-Best-Link has superior average delay and bit error rate performances to that of previous schemes.