# Blockchain Applications in the Military Domain:
## 4 Results
A significant innovation appears in the optimized path-planning strategies for military UAV swarms through the RUPOA algorithm implementation 84. The technical architecture implements Ethereum smart contracts for UAV node authorization and tracking, and the gasLimit assignments to prevent denial-of-service attacks. The implementation effectively generates optimal paths under security attacks with efficiency in communication. Accordingly, efficient authentication schemes using blockchain as the certificate authority have presented a significant improvement in state-of-the-art approaches [78]. From the implementations, one could see a computational cost reduction of 40.479 ms compared to 107.962 ms with traditional schemes, with a communication overhead of 320 bits compared to 1952 bits by conventional approaches. The architecture implemented the HECC scheme for private key generation using blockchain transactions that proved quite effective, particularly in the resource-constrained military IoD networks. Recent implementations have shown innovation in biometric and PUF-based authentication protocols for exchanging military drone payloads [93]. The technical architecture combines PUF challenge-response protocols with biometric authentication, achieving formal security verification through the Real or Random model. This implementation has effectively resisted common IoD attacks with lower computation and energy costs. Zone-based drone network architectures show advancement through customized consensus algorithms [57]. Research demonstrates the effectiveness of the drone-based delegated proof of stake (DDPOS) consensus mechanism for inter-zone authentication, achieving 97.5% detection rates for malicious drones during airborne operations. This implementation effectively improves security while reducing latency in military drone operations. The evolution of these implementations testifies to ongoing innovation in addressing complex military requirements and emerging threats. Research evidence has shown further development into quantum-resistant protocols, advanced cryptographic techniques, and their integration with the existing infrastructure in the military. This, therefore, presents promising directions in the enhancement of security, efficiency, and resilience of the military blockchain systems in response to the evolving technological challenges in military operations. **[RQ2]. **_What are the primary challenges and opportunities for deploying blockchain in military supply chain management?_  
The deployment of blockchain technology in military supply chain management presents technical challenges and transformative opportunities that fundamentally influence security, transparency, and operational efficiency. The main challenge is integrating blockchain into the existing military logistics infrastructure, which requires huge modifications and investments to be compatible with legacy systems [57]. This integration challenge is most serious at the scale of military operations, where the volume of data and transactions can overwhelm traditional blockchain architectures, thus requiring innovative solutions for effective implementation. Scalability becomes a critical constraint in military supply chain contexts, and research has identified significant limitations in current blockchain systems that could compromise performance in real-time supply chain scenarios [69]. In response to these scalability challenges, technical innovations have emerged through sharding-enabled blockchain solutions that distribute computational loads across multiple shards, thus maintaining operational capability, even in resource-constrained battlefield environments [61]. This technical approach has proven particularly effective in maintaining system functionality under adverse conditions. Security and privacy in military logistics systems introduce several new challenges, especially managing sensitive data in blockchain architectures.