Aircraft-to-Aircraft (A2A) Geometry-Based Stochastic Channel Model

Abstract

This work presents a geometry-based stochastic aircraft-to-aircraft (A2A) wideband channel model. This model can reproduce the time-variant A2A propagation channel in any arbitrary A2A scenario, i.e., for any arbitrary geometry between the aircraft and the Earth's surface. It combines amplitude statistics derived from A2A channel measurements with a theoretical framework that recreates the delay/Doppler characteristics of the channel. The results show that the model can reproduce the A2A channel very faithfully, including the commonly-ignored scattering components and their unique geometry-dependent delay/Doppler distribution. The model can be used to derive the characteristics of the A2A channel for any desired geometry, as well as to obtain channel realizations at high sampling rates. It also supports the use of different configurations affecting the statistics of the channel, such as the antenna placement and the relationship between the aircraft fuselage and geometry. The proposed channel model is a powerful tool for understanding the A2A propagation channel and enables the development and simulation-based testing of new A2A radio communication, navigation and surveillance systems.