Australian Defence Force dominates biggest military drone racing tournament in Sydney

More than 80 military FPV pilots turned Randwick Barracks into the biggest Military International Drone Racing Tournament yet, and the Australian Defence Force again set the pace. With competitors from Canada, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, the host nation claimed its sixth MIDRT title and extended a run that has made Australia the benchmark in military drone racing.

The sixth edition of the tournament ran from March 12 to 14 in Sydney, and it was tied to the Australian Army’s 125th founding anniversary. What made the weekend stand out was not just the size of the field but the range of disciplines on show. Alongside pure racing, military FPV pilots contested tactical events such as bomb drop and air-to-air engagement, underscoring that the sport is being used to measure more than speed around a course.

MIDRT describes itself as a partner-nation competition built to test speed, precision, teamwork and UAS/C-UAS capability while also creating STEM and defence pathways. That mix of sport and skills development is increasingly shaping how military organizations view drone racing. A 2026 analysis from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said military drone racing is becoming a training ground for real-world drone skills, with Australia’s service personnel already benefiting from capabilities developed outside formal duty.

Australia’s lead in the space did not emerge overnight. The ADF Drone Racing Association was founded in 2017, around the same time the British Armed Forces began building similar competition structures, and the first MIDRT followed in 2018. Since then, the event has grown into a partner-nation showcase for how militaries can sharpen piloting, teamwork and technology familiarity under pressure.

The Philippine Army sent a five-member team to Sydney, including one officer, two enlisted personnel and two reservists, after being invited by the Australian Army to compete. For the host nation, the result was another title. For the wider field, the message was harder to miss: military drone racing has moved beyond novelty and into the serious business of building operational skill.