The U.S. Army revealed the champions of its first-ever Best Drone Warfighter Competition, a 72-hour event held February 17–19 in Huntsville, Alabama, which gathered over 200 participants from across the active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard forces.
The U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and the Maneuver Center of Excellence co-hosted the event, with sponsorship provided by the Army Aviation Association of America in collaboration with the University of Alabama Huntsville.
Tomorrow, the first-ever Best Drone Warfighter Competition kicks off.
These @USArmy Soldiers from Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard units have worked hard innovating, training, and pushing their personal limits to be the best of the best.
They are shaping the future of… pic.twitter.com/k5DB8cHPuT— Secretary of the Army (@SecArmy) February 16, 2026
Sgt. Javon Purcher of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, won the Best Drone Operator title after racing Neros Archer first-person-view (FPV) drones through a timed obstacle course.
Staff Sgt. Angel Caliz and Spc. Jonah Burks of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Vilseck, Germany, took Best Tactical Squad after completing a hunter-killer lane that required teams to ruck 1,000 meters under load before deploying reconnaissance and strike drones against simulated targets.
The Best Innovation award went to a team from the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division. 1st Lt. Ryan Giallonardo, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Reed, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nathan Shea, and Sgt. 1st Class Brent Wehr fielded Project R.E.D., a drone designed to recover downed enemy UAVs using a 3D-printed robotic arm and AI-enabled object recognition.
ICYMI: Meet the winners of the Army’s inaugural Best Drone Warfighter Competition.
Elite drone operators from across the Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard competed Feb. 17–19 in a three-day test of tactical skill and innovation.
📷 Sgt. Aaron Troutman pic.twitter.com/8yPn7XuCef
— U.S. Army (@USArmy) February 23, 2026
Col. Nicholas Ryan, director of Army UAS transformation at the Aviation Center of Excellence, told Military Times the event drew heavily on lessons from Ukraine, where operators routinely modify systems to meet mission demands.
“That fabrication and modification aspect is also something we’ve taken from Ukraine,” Ryan said. “It is now built into our UAS training courses teaching them how to 3-D print, how to design, how to code and how to build their own drones.”
The first U.S. Army Best Drone Warfighter Competition has concluded!
Congratulations to:
Best Operator: Sgt. Javon Purchner, 1st Cav. Div.
Best Tactical Lane: Staff Sgt. Angel Caliz and Spc. Jonah Burks, 2nd Cav Regt.
Best Drone Innovation: 1st Lt. Ryan Giallonardo, Chief… pic.twitter.com/T8X9aYNNai— U.S. Army (@USArmy) February 20, 2026
Col. Ryan said the Army plans to expand the competition, potentially adding electromagnetic jamming and drone swarm tactics as technology matures. All systems used were required to comply with the National Defense Authorization Act. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll presented awards to winners on the final day.
