Advanced Cross-Domain Unmanned Platform Command and Security Technology

Dear Colleagues,

In the era of rapid technological advancement, the concept of cross-domain unmanned platforms has emerged, encompassing various unmanned vehicles such as UAVs, UGVs, and UUVs operating across different domains. This development is rooted in the growing demand for efficient and versatile systems, underscoring its significant scientific background. The need for coordinated and secure operations is paramount, for instance, in civilian uses such as disaster response and infrastructure inspection. To achieve seamless cooperation, effective command and control are essential, relying on advanced communication networks, intelligent algorithms, and real-time data processing. In particular, security technology plays a crucial role in protecting data and systems from cyber threats, such as in the aerospace field. Furthermore, as these technologies become more widespread, ethical and regulatory considerations, including privacy and liability, gain prominence. Overall, research in this area is vital for the advancement and safe application of these technologies. This Special Issue aims to contribute to the expansion of knowledge and innovation in this field.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) to give insights into the challenges associated with cross-domain operations. Specifically, the focus is on algorithms, architectures, and applications that facilitate seamless interaction among unmanned platforms while ensuring their resilience against emerging security threats. This topic is well-aligned with the journal's scope, as it includes cutting-edge research in drone technology, automation, and cooperative systems. Such contributions are expected to advance both theoretical knowledge and practical applications in the field. We invite submissions that offer insights into theoretical frameworks, empirical studies, and case analyses to foster a comprehensive understanding of this critical area of research.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

• Cooperative guidance and control;
• Intelligent mission planning;
• Multi-domain operations;
• Aircraft overall technology;
• Multi-target allocation technology;
• Structural design and analysis;
• Cooperative perception and decision;
• Heterogeneous cross-domain system;
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning;
• Intelligent game theory;
• Network attacks and security;
• Security protocols and risk management;
• Case studies and real-world applications;
• Ethical and regulatory considerations.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Prof. Dr. Haibin Duan
Dr. Jialong Zhang
Dr. Shuangxi Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Drones is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• intelligent control
• cross-domain
• command
• cooperation technologies
• security
• heterogeneous UAV swarms
• unmanned platforms