Method of adaptive component-based design of unmanned aerial vehicles suitable for military missions

The dynamic evolution of hybrid warfare conditions has led to the emergence and large-scale deployment of a new technological instrument of war – UAV swarms. This trend has created a variety of military application domains for UAVs, including strike, reconnaissance, decoy drones, and others. Designing new UAVs from scratch is time-consuming, which poses a critical challenge under wartime conditions. Therefore, it is relevant to conduct research into modern design methods capable of ensuring the rapid development of new UAVs through the adaptation of existing baseline components for constructing the required UAV system architecture in the chosen direction of military application. This study focuses on a set of models aimed at accelerating UAV development projects by adapting baseline components. The key objectives include: conducting a systems analysis of project activities required for adapting UAV architecture to new military applications; justifying the selection of UAV design alternatives suitable for a new component-based architecture; assembling a development team capable of designing a new UAV for specific purposes within a short timeframe; and modeling the sequence of project activities required to adapt UAV component-based architecture to emerging military operational requirements. The research utilizes a range of mathematical methods and models, including: systems analysis for adaptive project activities related to UAV development; component-based UAV design method; lexicographic ordering for ranking design alternatives; expert evaluation techniques for identifying the most rational UAV configuration; targeted search method for optimal developer team formation using integer (Boolean) programming; and simulation modeling to plan the sequence of project activities for adapting UAV component architectures to new military applications. The following results were achieved: a systems-based representation of UAV project activities using a component-oriented approach was developed; the selection of a rational UAV architecture adapted to new military requirements was substantiated; a qualified development team capable of rapidly executing a UAV design project has been selected, with consideration of design-related risks; and a multi-agent model has been developed to facilitate planning of project activities aimed at adapting the UAV’s component architecture tailored to specific mission profiles. Conclusions: the findings of this study provide a scientific foundation for developing modern component-based UAV architectures for a variety of military applications; it ensures rapid execution of adaptation projects for existing UAV architectures to meet new application requirements and supports the formation of competent development teams under time and risk constraints. This contributes to improved military defense capabilities on the battlefield. The scientific novelty of the proposed approach lies in the creation of an adaptive design methodology grounded in the component-oriented paradigm. This enables the creation of new UAVs through the adaptation of existing architectures for specific military purposes and the formation of a development team capable of fast project execution in wartime conditions.