As uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) take up a prominent position in Australian Defence Force (ADF) strategy, drone racing is the sport paving the way for recruitment and retention of the future workforce.
The ADF Drone Racing Association is gearing up for the 2025 Avalon Airshow, which will host its 2025 national championships, fresh off the back of its third consecutive win at the Military International Drone Racing Tournament (MIDRT) in London.
Australia has been leading the charge for military drone racing, founding its Association in 2017. The British Armed Forces caught on at around the same time, leading to the first MIDRT in 2018 – pitting the best UAS military pilots against each other in a speed and technique-based race.
This year there will be a record three international competitions for military drone racing, with MIDRT_US25 in May in New York State, the Drone Crucible in Florida on the 4 July weekend, and MIDRT_UK25 planned for September in London.
Offered as one of the ADF Sport clubs at ADFA and across the military, drone racing has taken flight over the past 8 years as an accessible and exciting sport that teaches real, measurable skills for future warfare.
For reference, the 2024 Integrated Investment Program included a range of UAS to increase ADF capabilities, with the government stating it was investing more than $10 billion on drones – including at least $4.3 billion on uncrewed aerial systems and $690 million on uncrewed tactical systems for Army.
The rise of drone racing
ADM spoke with founder and President of the ADF Drone Racing Association, Wing Commander Keirin Joyce, about the recent growth of the sport and its unique military training capability.
“For many of the ADF sports, the participants play against international teams to build relations, good vibes and friendships among competing nations. We do that, just like every other accredited sport, but we have the added bonus of our sport being a military capability as well – with technology and skills that can be used on the battlefield,” WGCDR Joyce said.
“It’s the same for cyber sports, building hacking skills and technological literacy. The average member of the general public might not know the ADF has military sports like drone racing and cyber sports, but they’re like the contemporary examples of fencing and shooting – sports tied to necessary military skills.”
He also noted how accessible drone racing, and drone operation in general is, as it doesn’t require physical attributes from traditional sports.
“What I really like about drone racing is that it's accessible at your maximum state of fitness, but also when you’re not in top shape – an adaptive sport,” WGCDR Joyce explained.
“All you need are your eyes and thumbs to be a drone racer, making it an excellent option for our ill and injured soldiers, sailors and aviators. You can be managing a long-term injury and still be great in the sports arena through drone racing.
“You can do it in bed, you can do it in a wheelchair, and those hours that you may have previously been unemployable while you're in a rehab program could be spent developing really useful skills. I think that is really exciting.”
Inside the ADF MIDRT_UK24 team
The ADF Drone Racing Association took 11 pilots to MIDRT_UK24, selected from their race times at the Shellharbour Inter-Service Championship in March 2024 – four from Army and Air Force, one from Navy, and two Cadets. The members were chosen to create a representative team from the whole ADF, with the caveat that the participants had the work availability to attend a training camp and head to London for two weeks.
The four top pilots from each military team made up the final times for the competition, with Australia having two from Army, one from Air Force, and one Cadet.
Leading Aircraftwoman, Selena Smith, joined the Association after a drone-making workshop run by the Air Force drone racing team on her ADF Gap Year, and was the only female pilot to participate in MIDRT_UK24. Although she had been flying for less than two years, she was selected as part of the ADF’s development team based on her potential and dedication.
“I honestly thought the message was spam at first, but I had qualified with timings from a previous event I was in. I don’t get to race as much as I’d like to, but I study the electrical side of the aircraft and anything pertaining to my job, as well as doing some coding and soldering as a hobby,” Smith said.
The Australian team participated in a training camp before heading to London, where they built up their aircraft and teamwork.
“We spent about two days with a coach who watched us race and offered tips on flying the track,” she added.
“The environment was very welcoming and teamwork oriented, with all the guys and myself giving each other advice and opinions as we were setting up our drone configurations. There was a lot of collaboration and trading bits and pieces between each other.”
The ADF team ended up winning at MIDRT_UK24, but the event wasn’t just about the racing. It offered an environment to connect with other military teams and build the profile of drone racing to the public.
“Our events and races help raise awareness about STEM. In London, we had an open exhibit where people could come talk to us and we could do demonstrations and share our knowledge,” Smith explained.
“Racing has definitely helped my coordination, as well as quick thinking, out of the box. When you have a broken drone and you have to figure out how to fix it on the fly, with replacement parts or updates, being able to work through that on the spot is a great skill to have.
“I’m the only Air Force drone racing pilot that’s female, but I hope we get more soon. I’m trying to get more chicks in and helping to process applications – we definitely need more women,” she said.
Looking forward
Now that military drone racing is gaining a stronger international profile, the ADF team is continuing to help the competition expand.
“Domestically that means running more boot camps and helping units establish their own teams. 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, in Queensland, is leading the charge there,” WGCDR Joyce said.
“Internationally, we are helping teams around the world run the next MIDRTs. The two US events are looking to grow the sport by increasing the types of racing, from standard drone racing, to involving teamwork and more tactical scenarios.”
WGCDR Joyce said what sets Australia and the ADF Drone Racing Association apart is its support from Defence, helping the team to maintain its winning streak.
“I think what was really notable at MIDRT_UK24 was the Australian team's consistency. We sent 11 flying pilots, and didn't have the fastest pilot at an individual level – we only managed to have the fourth fastest pilot – but we had five of the top eight positions,” he said.
“I think the next biggest team was the UK, with six or seven pilots. Even for a tournament taking place in London, drone racing still wasn't an accredited sport under the British Armed Forces, so they were all participating as volunteers.
“That's a telling sign – we had more pilots, a more consistent pilot base, and we were allowed to take a development squad because we've got a lot of support from the Australian Defence Force, which not all the other nations have.”
The ADF Drone Racing Association pilots take flight at Avalon in two weeks, competing for a chance to represent Defence at the three international tournaments this year, and be involved in outreach activities in Australia and abroad.