Abstract

For improving the throughput while simultaneously enhancing the security in aeronautical ad-hoc networking (AANET), a channel quality indicator (CQI)-mapped spatially modulated sparse code multiple access (SM-SCMA) scheme is proposed in this paper. On one hand, we exploit the joint benefits of spatial modulation and SCMA for boosting the data rate. On the other hand, a physical-layer secret key is generated by varying the SM-SCMA mapping patterns based on the instantaneous CQI in the desired link. This guarantees the security of AANETs, since this secret key is not exchanged between the source aeroplane and its destination. Due to the line-of-sight (LoS) propagation in the AANET, other aeroplanes or eavesdroppers may detect the signals delivered in the desired link. However, they are unable to translate the detected signals into the original confidential information, even if multiple copies of the signals are recoined over multiple hops of the AANET, because they have no knowledge of the CQI-based SM-SCMA mapping pattern. The performance of the CQI-mapped SM-SCMA is evaluated in terms of both its bit error rate and its ergodic secrecy rate, which substantiates that the proposed scheme secures the confidential information exchange in the multi-hop AANET.