US Army Europe crowns its Best Drone Warfighters

Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany turned into a buzzing hive of rotors and radio chatter from December 8 to 10, 2025, as ten teams squared off in the first ever U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Drone Warfighter Competition, as reported by Army.mil.

This is an event that made one thing very clear: modern combat no longer belongs only to boots on the ground, it also belongs to thumbs on controllers. Does that mean that I am a soldier?

Hosted by the 7th Army Training Command, the competition brought together U.S. Army units permanently stationed in Europe, rotational forces under V Corps, and international partners from Italy and Spain, all with a shared mission, prove they can fly, fight, think, and adapt faster than the other team before the battery runs out.

Brig. Gen. Terry Tillis, commander of 7ATC, summed up the mood perfectly during the opening ceremony, noting that while teams were competing hard, the atmosphere was cooperative and forward looking, with allies learning from each other instead of just chasing a trophy.

According to Tillis, this was never about flashy flying alone, but about integrating drones as true enablers for ground forces, helping units gain an advantage, seize terrain, and actually hold it once the dust settles.

In other words, drones here were not toys or gadgets, they were force multipliers with real consequences.

Urban recon, FPV chaos, and decisions under pressure

Each team, made up of two to six Soldiers, brought both a short range reconnaissance drone element and a first person view FPV team, because modern war demands both eyes in the sky and nerves of steel at low altitude.

Over three days, teams were pushed through a mix of written exams and hands on scenarios that tested far more than just stick skills. One lane focused on tactical aerial reconnaissance and strike missions in a dense urban environment, where teams had to identify enemy forces, coordinate movements, maintain camouflage and security, and complete objectives against the clock. This was less Top Gun and more chess, played at altitude.

The second lane leaned heavily into FPV flying, tasking operators with navigating obstacle courses, conducting aerial land navigation, and clearing trenches using FPV drones, all while maintaining team cohesion and making rapid decisions during simulated call for fire missions. Think racing drone meets infantry tactics, with penalties for hesitation and rewards for clear communication.

Mistakes were immediate and unforgiving, clipped obstacles, missed targets, poor coordination, all of it cost time and points. Smooth teamwork, calm decision making, and precise flying separated the leaders from the teams chasing them.

A mixed fleet of issued and self built drones

One of the most interesting aspects of the competition was the sheer diversity of aircraft in the air. Teams flew a blend of issued systems and self built platforms, reflecting the reality of modern military drone use, where adaptability often matters more than uniformity.

Among the drones spotted were Skydio X2D aircraft handling autonomous reconnaissance duties, ORQA FPV systems screaming through obstacles at low altitude, and familiar shapes like the DJI Mavic and DJI Avata pulling double duty for surveillance and precision maneuvering.

Also in the mix were platforms like the Vantage Vesper and the Purpose Built Attritable System, better known as PBAS, which lived up to its name by being pushed hard and expected to survive just long enough to get the job done.

The message was clear, today’s drone warfighter must understand multiple platforms, different control philosophies, and the strengths and weaknesses of each system, often switching roles on the fly depending on mission needs.

The winning U.S. Army team will move on to compete in the Army wide Best Drone Warfighter Competition in 2026, carrying lessons learned in Germany straight into the next phase of drone driven warfare.

DroneXL’s Take

This competition feels like a glimpse into the future of ground combat, where drone pilots are no longer specialists on the sidelines, but core players in maneuver warfare, trusted to scout, strike, and shape the battlefield in real time.

What stands out most is not the technology itself, but the emphasis on decision making, teamwork, and integration, reminding us that even the smartest drone is only as effective as the humans guiding it.

If this is where military drone training is headed, expect the skill gap between average operators and elite drone warfighters to grow fast, and expect civilian drone tech, especially DJI and FPV platforms, to keep influencing how armies fight, adapt, and innovate.

Photo credit: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Dylan Bailey