{"id":38447,"date":"2026-05-29T08:58:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T08:58:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2026\/05\/29\/at-french-army-fpv-competition-nato-soldiers-race-drones-and-swap-tips\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T12:25:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:25:33","slug":"at-french-army-fpv-competition-nato-soldiers-race-drones-and-swap-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/unmanned\/2026\/05\/29\/at-french-army-fpv-competition-nato-soldiers-race-drones-and-swap-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"At French Army FPV competition, NATO soldiers race drones and swap tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CHAUMONT, France \u2014 The French Army\u2019s first international drone competition felt a little like a tribute to the drone-racing scene that started it all, said a British pilot who competed in the event on a former United States airbase in eastern France last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from their combat fatigues, the drone pilots with first-person view goggles and joystick controllers could have been hobbyist racers, maneuvering quadcopter drones through bright yellow gates and an abandoned building. But simulated strike missions added a distinctly military edge to the two-day competition, with bonus points for hitting targets including a moving Ford pickup truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven with the British Army we do racing events, because obviously that\u2019s where FPV has always been,\u201d Guardsman Mark, a drone pilot in the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, told Defense News. \u201cIt\u2019s good to see that the events here are like almost a homage to FPV racing. It\u2019s kind of, thank you, we will take over from here into the tactical side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As FPV drones have become an inescapable part<\/a> of infantry operations on the frontline in Ukraine, NATO countries have started to apply the lessons, at their own pace. Some teams in the two-day competition, including from the United Kingdom and Denmark, had been using FPV drones in their units for only several months, while some from France had been flying them for more than a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For drone pilots from eight NATO members, the competition at the Chaumont-Semoutiers airbase was a chance to see allies at work, share tactics and technical tips, and study each other\u2019s equipment. For instructors, the event provided ideas on how they might improve training to use FPV drones in combat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe saw some really interesting things because, and I won\u2019t go into details, but each team had its own small innovations in how they managed their equipment,\u201d said Sgt. Edgar, an FPV drone pilot in the French Army\u2019s 61st Artillery Regiment, which hosted the event at its base on the former airfield near Chaumont.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
French Army Chief of Staff Gen. Pierre Schill speaks to media during the International Drone Challenge at Chaumont-Semoutiers Airbase in France on May 20, 2026. (Rudy Ruitenberg\/staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cheap consumer racing drones flown via FPV goggles and low-latency video links were turned into weapons of war by soldiers in Ukraine, who combined them with explosive charges such as rocket-propelled grenade warheads. FPV drones now inflict 60% of the losses on the Russian army, the National Security and Defense Council for Ukraine said in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Gen. Pierre Schill, the commander of the French Army, the challenge was an occasion to take stock of where his forces stand compared to allies. He said drones have become an \u201cunavoidable reality,\u201d and also a way to push the land forces towards innovating in the lowest ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can build, for not much money, your own drone,\u201d Schill said. \u201cIt\u2019s a way to unleash innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly 50 teams, each comprising a pilot and a spotter, took part in the International Drone Challenge on May 19 and 20, scoring points over four courses testing speed, drone control and successful strikes. Teams brought their own drones, some custom-made, others issued by their units, with the rules limiting entries to FPV drones in the 5-inch rotor class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many teams used similar systems and components, some pilots on allied teams used \u201cquite different\u201d ways to approach targets, \u201cso it\u2019s really interesting to be able to talk with them,\u201d said Chief Cpl. Jean-Baptiste of the French 82nd Infantry Regiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allied teams came from Belgium, Denmark, Spain, the U.S., Italy, the U.K. and Poland, with Luxembourg joining as an observer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief Sgt. Aymeric of the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins \u2014 \u201cAlpine Hunters\u201d \u2014 kept a hand on the shoulder of pilot Chief Cpl. Cl\u00e9ment during one of the exercises, pointing his masked teammate in the direction of the drone for the best signal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I put on the mask, I no longer exist in this reality,\u201d Chief Cpl. Cl\u00e9ment said after completing the course. \u201cThat\u2019s actually why it\u2019s important to have a partner. They\u2019re not only there to help me with my mission, but also to keep me grounded in reality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buddy interaction was an area where teams used different methods, with some spotters guiding their pilots with verbal instructions rather than remaining in physical contact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe see different things again from Ukraine, we still learn from how they do it,\u201d said Lance Cpl. Martin, a drone pilot from the Danish Royal Life Guards. \u201cBut definitely I\u2019m not a one-man operation when flying. Especially if I have goggles on, I\u2019m going to need a guy or two to keep me covered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukraine will have the capacity to produce more than 8 million FPV drones<\/a> in 2026, with more than 160 companies producing the systems in Ukraine, the NDSC said in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skill levels ranged widely, with French sergeant Edgar noting strong teams from the U.K. and Belgium. \u201cThis raises everyone\u2019s game, because at the end of a lap where someone posts an exceptional time, we saw several teams approach them to ask for advice or to take a look at the equipment they had.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A Danish soldier participating in the International Drone Challenge receives instructions from a French arbiter at Chaumont-Semoutiers Airbase in France on May 20, 2026. (Rudy Ruitenberg\/staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Two French teams took the top spots, with the 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment of the French special forces the winner and the 61st Artillery Regiment that hosted the competition finishing second. One of the British teams took third place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sgt. Luke Crossley of the U.K.\u2019s 3 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment, reportedly the country\u2019s fastest military drone pilot<\/a>, said that what he found most impressive was how well some of the French teams were doing with only two to five months of flying FPV systems, compared to the Belgium team and U.K. teams with up to two years of experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClearly other armies, other nations, France, Belgium, they\u2019re getting after all this FPV drone stuff,\u201d Crossley said. \u201cAs united nations, we are going be stronger on that battle front. Which is reassuring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1st Battalion Scots Guards has two qualified pilots with FPV drone experience who are still exploring how to use their gear, according to Guardsman Mark. He said the competition allowed him to tap into experience and knowledge from allies, including on setting up drones and programming the Betaflight control software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATO militaries are still figuring out procurement for FPV drones, a newer category than larger intelligence and targeting drone systems with established suppliers and procurement processes. Guardsman Mark said that while his unit receives fully assembled bigger drones, he built the smaller model used in the competition from parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeing how other forces deal with procurement was instructive, according to Staff Sgt. Shay Burnett of the U.S. Marine Corps, who teaches an attack-drone operator course at the service\u2019s School of Infantry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Marines are tied to a contract for a single model of FPV drone, the Neros Archer<\/a>, according to Burnett. With FPV drones so interchangeable \u201cwe shouldn\u2019t have to be stuck to one system,\u201d and being able to build them in-house and branch out to other models would reduce costs and make the force more effective overall, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest takeaway was learning where allies stand on FPV drones \u201cand seeing how we can make ourselves better overall,\u201d according to Burnett, who said the Marines started using the systems about 15 months ago. \u201cIt\u2019s so new across the board. Everyone\u2019s relatively in the same boat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burnett also took home lessons from how organizers set up the trials. \u201cWe\u2019re never going to try to get to the racing side, but we do think that the way that they had some of the things, with obstacles to get to the main target, is something we can bring back and actually start implementing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An officer of the Danish armed forces was keen to observe how the French organized the competition. While Denmark has previously held military competitions for snipers, infantry-fighting vehicles and battle tanks, the country wouldn\u2019t be able to set up an event like the one near Chaumont just yet, said Lt. Col. Nicolai, head of the training department for the Danish forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drone pilots also discussed training, with most agreeing that pilots need to fly regularly to keep their skills sharp. The French require potential drone pilots to train at least 20 hours in a simulator before they start flying small drones and then work their way up, said Sgt. Edgar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Younger pilots, especially those with experience flying model aircraft or in video games, tend to take more naturally to FPV drones, though some personnel in their forties are \u201cvery quick\u201d learners, according to the French sergeant. But the main variable remains training time, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Training time for the competing teams varied greatly, said Danish Lance Cpl. Martin, who said he is one of the first in his unit to train with FPV drones, and had been flying them for only about one-and-a-half months. He said after discussing training regimes, one lesson he\u2019s bringing home is to train intensely at the start, then allow pilots to build flying experience at a more casual pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been fun talking to the others to see how they\u2019ve been doing,\u201d Lance Cpl. Martin said. \u201cMost of them have had FPVs for a longer time, so they had more training compared to myself. I\u2019m bringing home how we can train, all the success and all the failures. No need to reinvent the wheel.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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