Advanced Selection Method for the Employment of an Aerial Reconnaissance Unit
Abstract
Purpose. The purpose is to improve the scientific and methodological framework for planning the employment of an air reconnaissance unit by developing a formalized method for selecting a rational approach to its use that accounts for the operational environment, the technical characteristics of unmanned aviation systems, and resource constraints.
Methods. The study has a theoretical and applied nature and is based on analysis, formalization, comparative analysis, and multicriteria assessment of alternative courses of action.
Findings. An improved method for selecting a tactical technique for employing an air reconnaissance unit is proposed. The method involves identifying input conditions, forming a set of admissible options, calculating effectiveness indicators, and selecting a rational option according to a generalized criterion. The numerical example provided is conditional and serves to illustrate the procedure's internal logic; empirical validation of the method has not yet been performed.
Theoretical implications. The results develop scientific and methodological approaches to formalizing the selection of methods for employing air reconnaissance units.
Practical implications. The proposed method is intended to support officials of state border protection bodies in decision-making during the planning and organization of air reconnaissance. Its practical effectiveness remains to be confirmed through field, experimental, or simulation studies.
Originality. The originality lies in the transition from empirical selection of a tactical technique to a formalized multicriteria assessment procedure.
Future research. Further research should focus on expanding the set of considered factors, including crew training level, availability of electronic warfare means, and time of day; improving the method for calculating detection probability while considering the stochastic nature of offender movement; and developing software implementation of the method as a decision-support module for automated control systems of border guard units.
Article type: theoretical and applied research.
Downloads
References
Administratsiia Derzhavnoi prykordonnoi sluzhby Ukrainy. (2023). Metodychni rekomendatsii shchodo zastosuvannia bezpilotnykh povitrianykh suden Derzhavnoi prykordonnoi sluzhby Ukrainy: Nakaz Administratsii Derzhavnoi prykordonnoi sluzhby Ukrainy vid 14 serpnia 2023 roku № 70 [Methodological recommendations on the use of unmanned aircraft of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine: Order of the Administration of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine dated August 14, 2023 No. 70].
Ahmadian, N., Lim, G. J., Torabbeigi, M., & Kim, S. J. (2022). Smart border patrol using drones and wireless charging system under budget limitation. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 164, 107891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2021.107891.
Babii, Yu. O., Polishchuk, V. V., Matsyshyn, M. O., Martyniuk, V. P., Martyniuk, O. V., & Chernousov, D. O. (2022). Rozvytok bezpilotnoi aviatsii u sviti ta Ukraini: analiz osoblyvostei i tekhnichnykh kharakterystyk [Development of unmanned aviation in the world and in Ukraine: Analysis of features and technical characteristics]. Zbirnyk naukovykh prats Viiskovoho instytutu Kyivskoho natsionalnoho universytetu imeni Tarasa Shevchenka, 75, 5–14. https://doi.org/10.17721/2519-481X/2022/75-01
Bansal, P., Somwanshi, D. K., Mudgal, N., & Kumar, D. (2024). Challenges and opportunities in modeling drone-based surveillance for open border security in vulnerable gaps and areas: A review. In Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Information Management & Machine Intelligence (ICIMMI 2023), Article 30. https://doi.org/10.1145/3647444.3647856
Biskin, B., Fliege, J., & Martínez-Sykora, A. (2025). Autonomous navigation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for border patrolling: A stochastic framework. IMA Journal of Management Mathematics, 36(2), 231–254. https://doi.org/10.1093/imaman/dpae033.
Chernousov, D. O. (2022). Dosvid zastosuvannia bezpilotnykh litalnykh aparativ pidrozdilamy Ministerstva vnutrishnikh sprav u suchasnykh umovakh vedennia viiny [Experience of using unmanned aerial vehicles by units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in modern conditions of warfare]. Zbirnyk naukovykh prats Natsionalnoi akademii Derzhavnoi prykordonnoi sluzhby Ukrainy. Seriia: Viiskovi ta tekhnichni nauky, 89(4), 286–300. https://doi.org/10.32453/3.v89i4.1298
Duxbury, D. J., Paton, N. W., & Keane, J. A. (2024). Dynamic decision making for situational awareness using drones: Requirements, identification and comparison of decision support methods. Expert Systems with Applications, 252, 124057. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2024.124057.
Fan, X., Li, H., Chen, Y., & Dong, D. (2024). UAV swarm search path planning method based on probability of containment. Drones, 8(4), 132. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8040132
Ghambari, S., Golabi, M., Jourdan, L., Lepagnot, J., & Idoumghar, L. (2024). UAV path planning techniques: A survey. RAIRO — Operations Research, 58(4), 2951–2989. https://doi.org/10.1051/ro/2024073
Güven, İ., & Yanmaz, E. (2024). Multi-objective path planning for multi-UAV connectivity and area coverage. Ad Hoc Networks, 160, 103520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adhoc.2024.103520.
Kazemdehbashi, S., & Liu, Y. (2025). An algorithm with exact bounds for coverage path planning in UAV-based search and rescue under windy conditions. Computers & Operations Research, 173, 106822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cor.2024.106822.
Lyu, Y., Wang, S., Hu, T., & Pan, Q. (2024). UAV coverage path planning of multiple disconnected regions based on cooperative optimization algorithms. IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1109/TCDS.2024.3442957.
Nikiforenko, V. S. (2024). Conceptual framework for the use of unmanned aerial systems in the protection of the state border. Science and Innovation, 20(2), 69–78. https://doi.org/10.15407/scine20.02.069
Osmani, K., & Schulz, D. (2024). Comprehensive investigation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs): An in-depth analysis of avionics systems. Sensors, 24(10), 3064. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24103064.
Ovchar, M. M. (2025). Orhanizatsiino-pravovi zasady zastosuvannia bezpilotnykh aviatsiinykh system orhanamy Derzhavnoi prykordonnoi sluzhby Ukrainy v okhoroni derzhavnoho kordonu Ukrainy [Organizational and legal principles of the use of unmanned aerial systems by the bodies of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine in the protection of the state border of Ukraine]. Analitychno-porivnialne pravoznavstvo, 2(4), 295–299. https://doi.org/10.24144/2788-6018.2025.04.2.48
Quadt, T., Lindelauf, R., Voskuijl, M., Monsuur, H., & Čule, B. (2024). Dealing with multiple optimization objectives for UAV path planning in hostile environments: A literature review. Drones, 8(12), 769. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8120769
Servatiuk, V., Lysyi, M., & Mostovyi, A. (2024). Analiz naukovykh pidkhodiv shchodo rozvytku i zastosuvannia bezpilotnykh litalnykh aparativ u suchasnykh voiennykh konfliktakh [Analysis of scientific approaches to the development and use of unmanned aerial vehicles in modern military conflicts]. Zbirnyk naukovykh prats Natsionalnoi akademii Derzhavnoi prykordonnoi sluzhby Ukrainy. Seriia: Viiskovi ta tekhnichni nauky, 94(1), 97–105. https://doi.org/10.32453/3.v94i1.1620
Sitailo, O. V. (2023). Taktyka zastosuvannia bezpilotnykh aviatsiinykh kompleksiv v okhoroni derzhavnoho kordonu: zvit pro naukovo-doslidnu robotu (shyfr 0122U201646) [Tactics of using unmanned aviation systems in state border protection: Research report]. Vydavnytstvo NADPSU.
Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy. (1991). Pro derzhavnyi kordon Ukrainy: Zakon Ukrainy vid 04 lystopada 1991 roku № 1777-XII [On the state border of Ukraine: Law of Ukraine dated November 4, 1991 No. 1777-XII]. Retrieved July 3, 2026, from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/go/1777-12
Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy. (2003). Pro Derzhavnu prykordonnu sluzhbu Ukrainy: Zakon Ukrainy vid 03 kvitnia 2003 roku № 661-IV [On the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine: Law of Ukraine dated April 3, 2003 No. 661-IV]. Retrieved July 3, 2026, from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/go/661-15.
Abstract views: 13 PDF Downloads: 5
Copyright (c) 2026 Ivan Katerynchuk, Dmytro Chernousov
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
