Drone pentathlon in Csobánka: Hungary's armed forces hold their first competition for drone pilots

For the first time, the Hungarian armed forces have held a drone pentathlon. The venue was the training area at Csobánka near Budapest, where drone pilots from several units competed in various disciplines. The Non-Commissioned Officer Academy of the Hungarian armed forces was responsible for the two-day competition.

The contest is also meant to foster the exchange of experience among operators. Major General Attila Simon, responsible for drone strategy on the Hungarian General Staff, underlined the importance of cooperation. The field of participants was made up of professional soldiers, fixed-term soldiers and reservists. Some had learned to fly in military training courses, others had gained experience with civilian drones.

Drone pentathlon with an eye on counter-drone defence

Simon also highlighted the role of counter-drone defence. Building up their own drone capabilities alone is not enough, he said; protection against unmanned systems must also be continuously developed further. New technologies are constantly emerging in this field worldwide.

I ask you to take the experience gained here back to your units and to pass it on to as many comrades as possible. Develop ideas that we can use to build a more effective drone capability with which we can protect our country and our sovereignty— Major General Attila Simon

The first day of competition featured various piloting tasks. Mistakes on the obstacle course cost a 30-second time penalty. On the speed course, pilots also had to identify an inscription using the drones' cameras. A night march followed. The competition concluded on the second day with counter-drone live firing at the Izbég firing range.