ADK BATTLE LABS PRESENTS

FUTURE FLAG
DRONE WARS

JUNE 1–5, 2026  |  LEWIS, NY

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OPERATIONAL BRIEFING

ADK Battle Labs hosts a week-long drone operations event that fuses competitive FPV racing with real-world tactical UAS mission scenarios. Set in the Adirondack mountains of northern New York, this is where commercial drone racing meets defense technology.

Four distinct events challenge pilots across the full spectrum of drone operations — from high-speed open-class racing to ISR-enabled precision strike missions against static and moving targets.

Open to FPV racing teams, defense and tactical UAS operators, counter-UAS vendors, and commercial drone companies. Whether you race, fly missions, or showcase technology — this is your proving ground.

ADK Battle Labs command platform with American flags and Adirondack mountain backdrop

IN PARTICIPATION WITH

Elite military FPV racing, international camaraderie and STEM innovation.

MIDRT is the premier military FPV drone racing championship uniting allied nations for competitive aerial racing. The tournament brings together speed, precision, and teamwork in a high-intensity environment — advancing international collaboration in unmanned systems capabilities and fostering STEM education pathways into defense and aviation.

Drone Wars 2026 is proud to operate in participation with MIDRT, bridging competitive FPV racing with tactical UAS operations in the Adirondacks.

VISIT MIDRT.ORG

OPERATIONS

01

Open-Class Drone Racing

Traditional FPV drone racing — all airframe configurations allowed. Open qualifying heats Tuesday and Wednesday, finals and championship race Thursday evening. Fastest cumulative lap times determine seeding through to the championship.

MON Setup • TUE–WED Qualifying • THU Finals
02

Aerial Point Defense

Tactical intercept scenario. BLUEFOR FPV team defends a fixed point against a REDFOR fixed-wing asset launching from 3 km out on a disclosed azimuth. Intercept before the target penetrates the 500m defensive perimeter. Successful intercept = cutting the streamer.

TUE–WED • 30-min sign-up slots
03

Moving Vehicle Intercept

Dynamic targeting against a ground convoy within a defined AO. Positively ID the HVT and execute a simulated kinetic strike before the convoy exits the area of operations. ISR drones strongly recommended — loaner platforms available for teams without organic ISR.

TUE–WED • 30-min sign-up slots
04

Fixed Infrastructure Long-Range Engagement

Precision strike against a static target at approximately 2 km within VLOS. Scoring based on strike precision and post-strike battle damage assessment. Combined ISR + strike drone operations encouraged.

TUE–WED • 30-min sign-up slots

PAST EVENT COVERAGE

OPERATIONS TIMELINE

MONDAY JUNE 1

  • Arrival and team check-in
  • Equipment and safety inspection
  • Mandatory safety orientation & RSO briefing
  • Frequency coordination — VTX and control link registration
  • Race course configuration
  • Open practice flights

TUESDAY JUNE 2

  • Open-class drone racing qualifying heats begin
  • Tactical events open — 30-min sign-up slots all day
  • Aerial Point Defense engagements
  • Moving Vehicle Intercept missions
  • Fixed Infrastructure Long-Range Engagement windows
  • C-UAS vendor detection operations active

WEDNESDAY JUNE 3

  • Qualifying heats continue
  • Tactical event time slots continue all day
  • Vendor demonstrations on main course
  • C-UAS detection operations continue

THURSDAY JUNE 4

  • AM — Warmups and final practice
  • PM — Racing finals and championship race
  • Evening — Awards and results

FRIDAY JUNE 5

  • Teardown and site cleanup
  • Equipment pack-out
  • Departures and closeout

VENDOR EXHIBITION

Drone Wars 2026 puts your products in front of the operators, engineers, and decision-makers shaping the future of unmanned systems. With a full week of live flight operations, your technology gets real-world visibility — not a conference hall demo.

On-Site Booth Space

Dedicated booth slots available all week. Set up shop alongside the action and engage directly with FPV pilots, tactical UAS operators, and defense technology professionals.

Live Demo Time Slots

Reserved demonstration windows on the main course. Fly your platforms, showcase your software, or run your hardware in front of a captive, technical audience.

Field Your Own Team

Non-military and commercial vendors are encouraged to enter teams in both racing and tactical events. Nothing sells a product like winning with it.

Secure your vendor slot for Drone Wars 2026

REQUEST A BOOTH
Military and civilian participants gathered at ADK Battle Labs vendor area

COUNTER-UAS OPERATIONS

Drone Wars 2026 offers a unique opportunity for counter-UAS technology companies to test and validate detection and tracking systems against real, unscripted drone operations across four distinct mission profiles — from high-speed FPV racing to long-range ISR sorties.

Live Flight Environment

Deploy your equipment during all flight sorties across all four events. Hundreds of flights over five days — real targets, real RF signatures, real operational conditions in complex Adirondack terrain.

Diverse Target Set

Track everything from sub-250g racing quads to long-range fixed-wing platforms operating across multiple frequency bands, flight profiles, and mission types.

Detect & Track Only

C-UAS participation is restricted to passive detection and tracking. No active countermeasures — no jamming, spoofing, or kinetic defeat systems. This ensures a safe operating environment while giving your sensors the workout they need.

Bring your C-UAS systems to the proving ground

GET IN TOUCH

BECOME A SPONSOR

Drone Wars 2026 is seeking sponsors who want to align their brand with the cutting edge of unmanned systems, defense technology, and competitive drone operations. This is a high-visibility event drawing FPV racing teams, military and defense operators, C-UAS companies, and commercial drone innovators to the Adirondacks for five days of live flight operations.

Ready to put your brand on the flight line?

BECOME A SPONSOR

PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS

Own Equipment

Teams responsible for UAS platforms, batteries, chargers, and support equipment. ISR loaners available for Events 3 and 4.

Safety Inspection

All aircraft must pass pre-flight safety inspection during Monday check-in.

Liability Waiver

Signed liability waiver and assumption-of-risk acknowledgment required.

Frequency Coordination

All VTX and control link frequencies must be registered at check-in.

CONOPS Briefing

Tactical event teams (Events 2, 3, 4) must brief their concept of operations before each engagement window.

Download the full event one-pager for complete details:

DOWNLOAD ONE-PAGER (PDF)

Document will be available soon.