KJR Sponsors ADF Drone Racing Team as MIDRT 2026 Opens in Sydney

Australian engineering consultancy KJR stepped up as sponsor and technical support partner for the Australian Defence Force Drone Racing Team as MIDRT Australia 2026 opened at Randwick Barracks in Sydney on March 11, with the four-day tournament running through March 14.

KJR first signalled the partnership publicly with a YouTube video posted on February 18, titled "Proud to Support the Australian Defence Force Drone Racing Team at MIDRT Australia 2026," followed by a formal announcement on March 5 confirming the sponsorship and technical support arrangement. "Innovation, performance and technical excellence are at the core of what we do, and we're honoured to back a team pushing the boundaries of drone technology and operational capability," the company stated in its video description, framing the involvement as part of a broader commitment to advancing digital capability across Australia's defence sector.

The ADF team arrives at Randwick Barracks carrying significant momentum. At MIDRT USA 2025, held at a repurposed ATLAS-F missile silo site in Lewis, New York, Australian drone racers edged out the United States in the final series to claim the Champion Military Team award against Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the host nation. Wing Commander Keirin Joyce, President of the ADF Drone Racing Team, described that result as historic in its context. "To win the title for a fourth time is a testament to the dedication, commitment and skill of our pilots, and the investment we've made in our Cadet program," Joyce said. Army team captain Corporal Dan McCullock was equally direct: "To win for the fourth time is really just amazing."

Three Australian Army Cadet pilots joined the ADF roster for the US event despite having only taken up drone racing at the start of 2024, and all three competed through to the MIDRT finals. Cadet Sergeant Angus Porter and Cadet Under Officer Zach Melvaine both finished in the top four Australians. Melvaine captured the experience simply: "To be here as part of the Drone Racing Team is just an incredible experience. We have been able to share our passion and interest in drone racing."

MIDRT, which brands itself as the premier military FPV drone racing championship, has grown steadily since its first Australian edition at Victoria Barracks, Sydney, in 2018. Subsequent editions moved to Avalon International Airshow in Geelong in 2023, then overseas to the Honourable Artillery Company Barracks in London in 2024 and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2025, before the US event at Lewis, New York, also in 2025. The return to Sydney for 2026, this time at Randwick Barracks, brings the championship back to where it started, with the ADF defending its title on home soil.