Turkish Army Wins First International Military Drone Team Competition

Turkey's army won the first International Best Military Drone Team Competition, known as BIMDTC-2026, organized by the Turkish Land Forces Command. The winning team was the Land Forces Command's first team.

The elite observer day took place at the Martyr Air Pilot Lieutenant Gürcan Ulucan Square in Temelli, Sincan district of Ankara. The event ran from October 19 to 26, 2026.

“The winner of future wars will be the side that perceives the war faster and decides more quickly, and uses manned and unmanned systems more harmoniously.”

Guests included Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Land Forces Commander General Metin Tokel, Deputy Minister of National Defense Bilal Durdalı, Gendarmerie General Commander General Ali Çardakçı, Sudan Land Forces Commander Major General Malik Altayeb Khogali Alneil, Somali Land Forces Commander Brigadier General Sahal Abdulahi Omer, and ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet Akyol. Military representatives from guest countries also attended.

General Bayraktaroğlu said Turkey is a deterrent power in the region thanks to its capabilities and opportunities. He stressed that technological capabilities and military cooperation with friendly and allied countries play an important role in developing this power.

He stated that future warfare will no longer center on front lines but on decision-making time, perception management, and interaction between systems. The winner of future wars will be the side that perceives the war faster and decides more quickly, and uses manned and unmanned systems more harmoniously.

Bayraktaroğlu said the competition, the first of its kind internationally in the field of unmanned systems, hosted competitors from 19 countries and observers from 14 countries. He emphasized that using manned and unmanned systems together is a decisive element of the battlefield.

He added that the goal is to protect personnel, reduce casualties, and increase operational effectiveness through the joint and effective use of these systems.