## 3 Proposed Approach: Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)
### Analysis and Verification of the Proposed Method
#### 3.3.2 Security Analysis: Resistance to Cyber Attacks
Compared to the computationally demanding RSA encryption, the hybrid approach, utilizing AES-128 combined with QKD, significantly reduces computational overhead, facilitating real-time data transmission on resource-constrained UAVs. Moreover, the frequent key updates provided by QKD enhance forward secrecy, ensuring that even if a session key is compromised, past and future communications remain secure. Figure 9 presents a comparative performance analysis that encompasses key exchange security, computational complexity, and real-time transmission efficiency. Figure 8: Secure data transmission framework for UAVs using Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). This diagram illustrates a secure data transfer process for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) leveraging Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). The framework consists of sequential stages, including data acquisition, compression, and encryption, followed by a QKD-based key exchange mechanism. The securely exchanged key is then used for encryption to ensure safe data transmission, preventing eavesdropping and enhancing communication security. Figure 9: Performance Comparison of QKD, AES, and RSA encryption methods. This figure presents a comparative analysis of the Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), and Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (RSA) encryption methods. The comparison considers three key metrics: the computational complexity (measured in CPU cycles per byte), error rate (as a percentage), and key generation rate (in Mbps). The data highlight the trade-offs between these encryption techniques, showcasing QKD’s dependency on atmospheric conditions, AES’s efficiency during computational complexity, and RSA’s significantly higher computational overhead. 8. Empirical Validation in UAV Communication Environments. To empirically assess the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, we will conduct a series of simulations and experiments under controlled laboratory settings and, where feasible, in actual UAV flight conditions. This evaluation will examine the algorithm's sensitivity to various parameters--including key length, data compression parameters, and environmental factors such as atmospheric interference and signal attenuation [22]. Field-testing protocols will involve deploying mid-sized UAVs equipped with Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) hardware across diverse agricultural environments (e.g., open fields, forested regions, and areas with varying altitudes). These tests will simulate real-time data transfers during crop monitoring and wildfire detection, thereby rigorously evaluating the robustness, reliability, and stability of the algorithm under practical operating conditions. The experimental investigation will focus on the following aspects:  
* Effect of Atmospheric Conditions: We will simulate various atmospheric scenarios--including clear weather, cloud cover, fog, and rain--to assess their impacts on the communication range, key generation rate, and quantum channel error rate. Quantitative analyses indicate that increased humidity levels can reduce key generation rates by up to 25%, while temperature gradients exceeding 10 \({}^{\circ}\)C may introduce additional polarization alignment errors, thereby elevating error rates in the quantum channel. * Effect of Geometrical Losses: The impact of laser beam divergence and the distance between the UAV and the ground station on the quantum state transfer efficiency and key generation rate will be investigated. The system leverages dynamic key management protocols along with frequency-hopping techniques to mitigate channel interference in multi-UAV networks. Simulated tests involving up to 20 UAVs have demonstrated a 15% improvement in the communication efficiency with minimal signal degradation. * Receiver Characteristics: We will analyze how the detection efficiency, dark counts, and other receiver parameters influence the error probability in the quantum channel and the overall performance of the QKD system.