CONTAINERIZED MOBILE HUBS AS A MEANS OF INFRASTRUCTURAL SUPPORT FOR AUTONOMOUS OPERATIONS OF CIVIL AVIATION AND UAV INTEGRATION

О. М. Литвинов, О. В. Чуприна, В. О. Гребеніков, М. В. Чуприна

Abstract


The article explores the concept of containerized mobile hubs as an innovative solution for the infrastructural support of autonomous operations integrating civil aviation and civil unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The relevance of transitioning to flexible, decentralized, and highly automated solutions is substantiated in the context of the development of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM), which require new approaches to ground infrastructure organization. The key problem is identified as the infrastructure gap between the rapid advancement of UAV technologies and the limited capabilities of traditional aeronautical systems.

A concept of a mobile hub based on a standardized ISO container (in particular, High Cube or refrigerated type) is proposed. The hub performs the functions of power supply, dispatching, communication, maintenance, and charging of exclusively civil and commercial UAVs. The hub is considered as an intelligent node integrated with civil UTM/U-space systems, ensuring the coordination of manned and unmanned flights within a unified digital airspace. The scope of practical application of the complex is outlined, encompassing environmental monitoring, support for humanitarian missions, and civil protection operations. Existing commercial "drone-in-a-box" solutions are analyzed, and their limitations are identified, including narrow functionality and insufficient mobility.

Special attention is paid to the technical aspects of hub implementation, including container design selection, climate control, energy efficiency, and rapid deployment capabilities in environments where stationary infrastructure is absent or damaged. It is demonstrated that the proposed approach significantly reduces operational costs and enables continuous 24/7 operations of civil UAVs.

It is concluded that containerized mobile hubs can become a key element in forming a new decentralized aeronautical infrastructure for civil aviation, particularly in the context of the peaceful recovery of Ukraine's transport sector, providing rapid deployment, versatility, and a high level of autonomy.


Keywords


containerized infrastructure; autonomous operations; mobile aero hub; unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); integration of civil aviation and UAVs; drone-in-a-box; Advanced Air Mobility

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.32620/oikit.2026.108.02

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