Armenia hosts first Western Asia FPV drone race, draws 100 pilots
More than 100 pilots turned Yerevan into Western Asia’s first regional FPV race hub, with Armenia’s ArmDrone team locking in a new competitive pathway.
Armenia made a clean statement in drone racing this weekend: it hosted Western Asia’s first regional FPV race, and it did so with a field of more than 100 pilots and industry representatives from Armenia, Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and beyond. What could have been a showcase event was run as a real competitive stop, giving Armenia a new place on the regional racing map.
The three-day Western Asia Regional Qualifier ran May 15-17 in Yerevan at Golf Club Hovnanyan, 7 Ashtarak Highway. MultiGP listed the meet as open to pilots of all experience levels, including first-time racers, and said the finals used a double-elimination format. Entry was free, and the event offered cash prizes, sponsor gifts, podium awards, diplomas, cups and certificates. Racing was broadcast live on YouTube through the ArmDrone Community channel, which gave the meet a wider reach than a standard local competition.
The final day delivered a full set of podiums across three divisions. In Beginner, Vardan Avetisyan finished first, followed by Hayk Tarumyan and Ashot Mikaelyan. In Semi-Pro, Sargis Tatosyan claimed the top spot ahead of Vahagn Bekverdyan and Arthur Aslanyan. In the Professional class, Dmitrii Savinovskii took the win, with Maksim Nor second and Matvey Pochekunin third. Ucom also gave a special award to 16-year-old Rafik Adamyan for his active participation, a small but telling sign that the event was built to reward both established racers and emerging talent.
That youth angle matters because the race did not appear out of nowhere. ArmDrone Community describes itself as Armenia’s first UAV and FPV community, and its work with Ucom has already included a free one-month FPV training program for young people ages 12 to 15. In 2025, that program selected 15 participants, while the annual Mini Whoop Drone Racing championship drew more than 40 competitors ages 11 to 60 from Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, nearly tripling participation from the previous year.
The result is bigger than one weekend of racing. By combining structured competition, youth training and regional visibility, Armenia has started to build the kind of pipeline that can support drone racing as a sport, a technical skill set and a talent channel. For pilots, that means more than a trophy. It means a new competitive hub in Western Asia.
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