Clustering-based Adaptive UAV Formation Shape for Cooperative Defense

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) operating in formation can leverage the capability and efficiency of UAV systems. This paper analyses the impact of UAV formation shape selection in a simulated defense scenario with a manned and unmanned team against threatening drone swarm attacks and proposes an adaptive formation shape strategy method based on spatial threat clustering and artificial potential fields to defend a high-value target. We evaluate the effectiveness of defensive fixed and adaptive formation shapes via simulations of hypothetical different threat drone swarm formations using a realistic 3D UAV simulator. The research shows that it is possible to gain an advantage over an enemy swarm, even when outnumbered, using an adaptive defensive formation shape strategy.