In the dark rooms of Wellington Barracks in Westminster, the British Army pitted its best drone pilots against each other to see who could best hold their own on the battlefields of the future. All units of the Army’s Global Response Division, 1 UK Division, from across the UK were invited to take part in a ten-hour drone competition. For the first time, the course resembled a modern battlefield in a war-torn city.
A total of 30 teams of four took part in the competition. They were equipped with state-of-the-art First Person View (FPV) hydrocarbon drones and Point of View (POV) headsets. First, they had to compete against each other through a complex battlefield of destroyed buildings and damaged vehicles. After making their way through trenches lined with sandbags in the pitch dark, they faced a scenario in ‘enemy territory’. There, they worked together as a team to conduct reconnaissance and gather as much information as possible before safely retrieving their drone from the area.
The use of drones (-> To the Military News drone topic) in modern warfare has changed the dynamics of military operations, offering unique tactical advantages and improving the operational efficiency of soldiers in various combat scenarios. Drones are used by armies around the world for a variety of purposes, including surveillance, reconnaissance and targeted attacks. The British Army is therefore considering how drones can be used by a much wider range of soldiers.
There have been drone competitions in the British Army before, but these have always been regarded as a hobby sport. Due to the current conflicts, this perception has changed considerably. In Ukraine, it is estimated that 80 percent of casualties suffered on the battlefield can be attributed to drone activity. The skillful use of drones can therefore be the key to operational success.
For this reason, the competition was deliberately held in a highly realistic combat scenario to give the soldiers the opportunity to fully engage with drone flying as a potential future operational capability and not just see it as a competitive sport. This resulted in a more interesting and exciting competition than before.
To have a chance of winning first place, the tasks had to be completed within a time limit. In addition to precision in completing the tasks, speed was also important. With certain vantage points and CCTV, the teams were able to monitor the progress of their competitors. The final winning team from the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Yorkshire Regiment received a prestigious trophy from Brigadier Mark Berry, Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade. Second place went to the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment and third place to the Grenadier Guards.
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