Military Drone Teams Honed Tactical Skills in England
Operators across defense sectors shared pilot coordination strategies for racing and payload deployment.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Military Jobs
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Team USA participated in the Military International Drone Racing Tournament at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to evaluate offensive and defensive capabilities. The event featured cross-service collaboration between Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines.
Why it matters
The exchange allows military units to refine drone pilot-and-spotter coordination and operational workflows used in complex tactical environments. Sharing these techniques helps standardize training and drone management across different service branches.
The competition spanned a five-day period from Sept. 14-18, 2026, involving personnel with diverse experience levels including participants with over a decade of hobbyist and technical expertise.
The players
Lt. Col. Kendall Smith
A military pilot who has been building and flying drones since 2015.
Tech. Sgt. Sky Dalrymple
An experienced drone operator who began building and flying systems in 2013.
The details
Pilots navigated courses through racing gates while utilizing a pilot-and-spotter coordination system to manage flight paths and payload drops. The training focused on using first-person-view goggles to execute precise movements. Participants analyzed how these maneuvers relate to offensive and defensive drone capabilities within their respective military home units.
Timeline
Tech. Sgt. Sky Dalrymple began building and flying drones in 2013.
Lt. Col. Kendall Smith began working with drones in 2015.
The Military International Drone Racing Tournament occurred from Sept. 14-18, 2026.
Market Landscape
The focus on tactical drone racing mirrors broader institutional shifts, such as the curriculum updates at the U.S. Naval Academy to incorporate robotics. This training environment formalizes the rapid operational knowledge transfer occurring across global military forces.
Operators in the defense and robotics sectors should monitor how these cross-service pilot-and-spotter coordination methods influence standard operating procedures. Integrating standardized racing protocols into team-based workflows can improve response times for complex payload delivery.
The takeaway
The event highlights the shift toward using competitive racing to refine high-stakes pilot coordination and tactical efficiency. Leaders should evaluate their own unit's drone training to ensure it mirrors these multi-service best practices for navigation and payload management.
Further reading
For more on the evolving requirements of remote operations, see Military Jobs.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Army.
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