# Rate-Splitting-Based Resource Allocation in FANETs: Joint Optimization of Beam Direction, Node Pairing, Power and Time Slot

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new resource allocation method for directional flying ad hoc networks that improves efficiency and reduces latency by integrating rate-splitting techniques.

## Contribution

The paper proposes an intra-beam rate-splitting-based resource allocation framework for directional FANETs, combining beam direction, node pairing, power, and time-slot optimization.

## Key findings

- The proposed IBRSRA algorithm reduces the required number of transmission time slots by over 42% for a 16-node network.
- Integrating constrained rate-splitting with beam-based scheduling significantly enhances spectral efficiency and reduces latency.
- A two-stage algorithm using greedy scheduling and successive convex approximation solves the optimization problem efficiently.

## Abstract

Directional flying ad hoc networks (FANETs) equipped with phased array antennas are pivotal for applications demanding high-capacity, low-latency communications. While directional beamforming extends the communication range, it necessitates the intricate joint optimization of the beam direction, power, and time-slot scheduling under hardware constraints. Existing resource allocation schemes predominantly follow two paradigms: (i) conventional physical-layer multiple access (CPMA) approaches, which enforce strict orthogonality within each beam and thus limit spatial efficiency; and (ii) advanced physical-layer techniques like rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA), which have been applied to terrestrial and omnidirectional UAV networks but not systematically integrated with the beam-based scheduling constraints of directional FANETs. Consequently, jointly optimizing the beam direction, intra-beam rate-splitting-based node pairing, transmit power, and time-slot scheduling remains largely unexplored. To bridge this gap, this paper introduces an intra-beam rate-splitting-based resource allocation (IBRSRA) framework for directional FANETs. This paper formulates an optimization problem that jointly designs the beam direction, constrained rate-splitting (CRS)-based node pairing, power control, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) selection, and time-slot scheduling, aiming to minimize the total number of time slots required for data transmission. The resulting mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem is solved via a computationally efficient two-stage algorithm, combining greedy scheduling with successive convex approximation (SCA) for non-convex optimization. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed IBRSRA algorithm substantially enhances spectral efficiency and reduces latency. Specifically, for a network with 16 nodes, IBRSRA reduces the required number of transmission time slots by more than 42% compared to the best-performing baseline scheme. This confirms the significant practical benefit of integrating CRS into the resource allocation design of directional FANETs.