The world is heading towards a new revolution which will create a data-driven, digitalized, and intelligent environment. Overall mobile data traffic will reach an extensive range by 2030 and addressing this traffic load is a challenging task. Evolving 5G/6G networks will create a modern transformation in the technological world, impacting everyday life, as future the demands of 5G/6G promise end-to-end quality of service that comprises performance, latency, flexibility, density of devices, infrastructure, and high speed, all to be achieved with high cost-effectiveness. Reliable and robust communication networks are necessary for public protection.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are broadly approached in diverse Internet of Things (IoT) scenarios because of their flexible mobility and rapid on-requirement deployment, and UAVs are hoped to be an indivisible segment of the next generation of wireless communication networks. Employing UAVs with respect to diverse communication applications is anticipated to enhance inclusion and spectral efficiency, which also leads to numerous challenges in the network. To efficiently advance the security of the system, it is essential to analyze the confidential operation of the UAV IoT system since the transmission technologies utilized contain open features in UAV systems. In order to manage the technical requirements, the corresponding communication networks ought to be upgraded accordingly. Advances based on security and other applications in 5G/6G are predicted to implement solutions for the critical issues that have been detected in UAVs during communication purposes.

The aim of this Special Issue is to gather the latest research into the use of next generation networks in IoT-based UAV systems. We welcome both original research and review articles.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Artificial intelligence/machine learning algorithms in optimizing 5G/6G networks for UAV-based communications
• 5G/6G network-based trust and security methods for safer integration in UAV systems
• Application and challenges of 5G/6G wireless communications technology in UAV IoT systems
• Advanced techniques with 5G/6G networks in channel modeling and resource management for UAVs
• Machine learning for cutting-edge position prediction technology in UAVs
• Applications of secure device-to-device communications and enhancing UAV-based IoT for disaster management systems
• Evolving physical layer security in 5G/6G networks for UAVs systems and performance analysis
• 5G/6G networks in UAVs-based IoT for traffic management
• 5G/6G network implemented smart infrastructure with UAVs in real-time applications
• UAV-enabled ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLCs) for 5G/6G networks
• Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) integration with state-of-the-art wireless technologies