# Force-Based Self-Organizing MANET/FANET with a UAV Swarm
## 2 Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs)  
### Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs): Applications and Challenges  
As advances in wireless technologies continue, the application range for MANETs grows [20; 27; 28]. The three use-case scenarios provided in Section 2.3 are just some examples of the possibilities where a drone-based MANET can offer significant value by providing, e.g., vital communication links between relief teams, survivors, and external command centers. In the approach presented in this article, we focus primarily on realizing and maintaining a connection between all clients in the field and a central data sink/command center/network root. As well as offering a communication infrastructure for personnel in the field to connect to their command center/dispatch, MANETs can also be used to provide point-to-point connectivity, e.g., Internet of Things (IoT) applications [29; 30] where smart devices communicate with one another [31] to, e.g., collectively manage their demand profile. IoT devices, whether in a home automation setting or an industrial environment, often need to communicate and collaborate dynamically [29; 31]. Especially when some of the IoT devices are mobile [30] or only sporadically active, MANETs can dynamically adapt to the applications' needs effectively [5; 29]. This can be achieved by, e.g., allowing devices to form and manage their own networks as they come into and move out of each other's communication range. In this context, Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) [2; 9; 10; 11] deserve special attention: with increasing vehicular autonomy, interconnecting the individual vehicles enables them to share information [22; 32], to allocate available resources [5; 28] and to collaborate when navigating in close proximity. VANETs [9; 10; 11] rely on the principles of MANETs to communicate among themselves and with other elements of the transport infrastructure. Among the known benefits of this are enhancing safety, increasing efficiency, and speeding up adaptability. However, the broad and growing applicability of MANETs comes with its own set of challenges. At the forefront of these is the issue of maintaining network performance in the face of dynamic topologies [3; 7; 11]. As nodes in a MANET are inherently (potentially) mobile, the network topology can change rapidly and unpredictably. This presents challenges that, e.g., require novel routing protocols [12; 17; 30; 33] capable of addressing this new complexity to ensure reliable and efficient communication between nodes. Additionally, as the scale and complexity of MANETs increase--for instance, in a large IoT deployment--so too do the challenges associated with network management and security [29]. Protecting against threats and maintaining privacy in such a distributed, decentralized environment is inherently complex [8; 29]. Furthermore, network management protocols [33] need to be capable of dealing with the potential for node failures, traffic congestion, and other disruptions [12]. Energy management is another key challenge [18; 29; 30], particularly for MANETs composed of battery-powered nodes, such as drones or IoT devices [29; 31]. Ensuring network connectivity while optimizing their energy usage is a non-trivial task requiring careful balance. Despite these challenges, the potential of MANETs remains vast. Their flexible, adaptable nature, coupled with their broad applicability, renders them a key contributor to our increasingly connected world. As research progresses, the development of innovative solutions to these challenges will continue to drive the evolution and adoption of MANETs across various domains. At this point, MANETs are a thriving area of research [5; 12; 13; 17; 29; 30; 33] and have become a fundamental contribution to modern wireless communications technologies [12; 13; 33]. As increased users carry mobile devices with them, the need for network flexibility grows. Since MANETs can self-organize and operate relatively independently from fixed/static infrastructure, their application areas are broad.