Drone racers in league of their own

Australia cemented its position as the world leader in military drone racing, with the ADF team claiming its seventh Military International Drone Racing Tournament title in the US.

Competing against teams from the UK and US, the ADF reinforced Australia’s reputation for excellence in first-person-view drone racing and uncrewed systems capability.

The victory in early June continues an extraordinary run for the Australian team, which has built a legacy of consistent success across multiple international tournaments hosted in Australia, the UK and the US.

Drone racer and high school teacher Cpl William Maloney said the standard of competition and pilot capability continued to improve every year as drone technology became increasingly important in the ADF.

“There is a rapid growth in both skill and professionalism of military drone racing teams,” Cpl Maloney said.

“Every year, the pilots are getting faster, more precise and more technically capable, and that reflects the growing importance of drone technology and autonomous systems with modern defence capability.

“Drone racing pushes pilots to operate under pressure, make split-second decisions and constantly adapt. These are incredibly valuable skills and the competition is helping to build a deep pool of talented and experienced drone pilots across ADF.”