A Safety-Driven Architectural Framework for Fail-Operational Drone Swarms in Critical Missions

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2608.20906v1
• Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:26:27 GMT
• Title: A Safety-Driven Architectural Framework for Fail-Operational Drone Swarms in Critical Missions
• Abstract summary: Airworthiness standards demand deterministic reliability, whereas multi-agent coordination algorithms execute non-deterministic models.<n>This paper proposes a mixed-criticality architectural framework that applies ARP4754B methods to swarm reconfiguration.
• Score: 0.0
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: The certification of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) swarms for safety-critical operations requires verifiable design assurance. Airworthiness standards demand deterministic reliability, whereas multi-agent coordination algorithms execute non-deterministic models. This paper proposes a mixed-criticality architectural framework that applies SAE ARP4754B methods to swarm reconfiguration. First, a hardware-isolated Safety Monitor functions as a Run-Time Assurance (RTA) gateway, decoupling the flight-critical core from the non-deterministic Swarm Manager. Second, the monitor enforces formal safety contracts based on agent Health Vectors derived systematically from a Functional Hazard Assessment (FHA). Third, the framework propagates these Health Vectors to the collective planner to trigger fail-operational task reallocation, enabling intelligent swarm behaviors without compromising flight-critical isolation. Markov reliability modeling demonstrates that the $10^{-7}$ failures per flight hour Hazardous target is theoretically achievable for our SAIL IV scenario, provided the Safety Monitor meets $C_{monitor}>0.9991$, consistent with DAL B CMD/MON implementations.

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