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JCM 2026 Vol.21(3): 365-371
Doi: 10.12720/jcm.21.3.365-371

Joint Trajectory and Power Optimization for UAV-Relay: A Constraint Handling Approach with the Bat Algorithm

Pham Thi Quynh Trang1, Duong Thi Hang2, and Nguyen Viet Tuyen1,*
1School of Electric and Electronic, Hanoi University of Industry, Hanoi, 100000, Vietnam
2Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications, Electric Power University, Ha Noi, 100000, Vietnam
Email: pham.trang@haui.edu.vn (P.T.Q.T.); hangdt_dtvt@epu.edu.vn (D.T.H.); nvtuyen@haui.edu.vn (N.V.T.)
*Corresponding author

Manuscript received December 8, 2025; revised January 16, 2026; accepted February 12, 2026; published May 13, 2026.

Abstract—Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as flexible relay platforms capable of enhancing wireless connectivity in beyond-5G and 6G networks. This paper investigates the joint optimization of UAV trajectory and power allocation to maximize end-to-end throughput under practical mobility and power constraints. The problem is highly non-convex due to the strong coupling between trajectory variables and transmission power. To address this challenge, we develop a penalty-based metaheuristic framework that incorporates a constraint-handling mechanism into the Bat Algorithm (BAT). Simulation results show that the proposed BAT-based approach achieves significant throughput improvement, efficient power allocation, and fast convergence compared with baseline convex optimization and heuristic schemes. These findings highlight the potential of BAT for reliable and energy-efficient UAV-assisted communication in future wireless networks.

Keywords—UAV communications, bat algorithm, trajectory optimization, power allocation, metaheuristics



Cite: Pham Thi Quynh Trang, Duong Thi Hang, and Nguyen Viet Tuyen, “Joint Trajectory and Power Optimization for UAV-Relay: A Constraint Handling Approach with the Bat Algorithm," Journal of Communications, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 365-371, 2026.

Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).

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