Dear Colleagues,

Wireless ad hoc networking has now evolved into a mature field of study. Much of the initial interest was focused on a broad range of routing strategies aimed at optimizing a particular cost function (e.g., battery life or quality of service). Often, these strategies assumed a particular type of network traffic, and thus their optimization could be highly service-specific. Another significant area of investigation was focused on the various security threats posed to these networks.

Today, there is plenty of interest in the potential of these networks in areas to disparate as autonomous vehicles, including drones, remote sensing, cooperative sensing, and IoT applications. As traditional constraints (longer battery lives, cheaper memory, and smarter processing) on mobile devices gradually dissipate, more applications become feasible. Furthermore, flexible approaches to organizing and managing these networks become possible.

In this Special Issue, we aim to collate a range of state-of-the-art research papers focused on novel approaches for managing the complexity of a network characterized by high mobility and uncertain membership. Accordingly, we invite submissions on a range of potential approaches aimed at the agile management of wireless ad hoc networks. Moreover, we are seeking papers in new, and potentially transformational, applications of these networks. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following themes:

+ The application of software defined networking to MANETs
+ Machine learning techniques for network management
+ Interworking between the Fog computing paradigm and MANETs
+ Wireless mist computing: applications and architectures
+ Distributed low-complexity cyber defense strategies
+ Trust and sharing models for MANETs, e.g., Blockchain technologies
+ Agile software defined radio for optimal link performance
+ The application of Ad Hoc Network technologies to mission critical systems
+ Smart phones as a platform for MANET applications
+ Transformational applications of MANETs


Dr. Robert C. Atkinson
Dr. Christos Tachtatzis
Dr. Xavier Bellekens
Guest Editors

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