The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine has officially recognized military-technological sports as a new non-Olympic sport. It already has its own Federation of Military-Technological Sports. What kind of competition is this?
The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine has officially recognized military-technological sports as a new non-Olympic sport. It already has its own Federation of Military-Technological Sports. What kind of competition is this?
The Ministry of Youth and Sports reported that Order No. 1105 added military-technological sports to the Register of Recognized Sports.
The military-technological sport combines competitions in four areas: air, land, water and cyberspace. Participants will compete in controlling drones and ground robotic complexes in the following disciplines:
The Federation of Military-Technological Sports of Ukraine is already operating, which will develop this sport. The Ministry says that young engineers, programmers, drone operators and analysts will be able to develop their skills in a sports environment. Students of technical specialties will gain practical experience working with innovative technologies.
«Military-technological sports also open up opportunities for veterans who can use their skills in a new way — to teach young people, participate in competitions, and test innovations», — the report notes.
The official status will facilitate the organization of a system of competitions at all levels, including the holding of the first international ones (with the support of state authorities and local governments). It is also planned to integrate this sport into the curricula of technical universities and military educational institutions.
«Ukraine has unique experience and strives to become a world leader in military-technological sports. Ahead is the creation of professional leagues, international tournaments, and attracting partners to develop the sport», — the Ministry of Youth and Sports notes.
The Drone Racing League (DRL) was founded in the United States in 2015. It is a professional drone racing league that brings together the best FPV drone pilots who compete on challenging obstacle courses in specially designed drones.
In January 2024, Lieutenant and Deputy Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council Andriy Kovalenko predicted that AI-powered kamikaze drones would gradually appear on the front lines. He added that sports drones with artificial intelligence appeared in the United States 3–4 years ago.
«FPV drones with artificial intelligence were in the US back in 2020-21, they were sports drones. They did what a UAV operator couldn’t do», — Kovalenko said.
Last year, Yaroslav Azhnyuk, co-founder of the Ukrainian IT company Petcube, announced that he was launching another startup — a manufacturing company called Odd Systems, which will specialize in «sports» FPV and its components.
«As many of us know, the Ukrainian FPV sports copter industry has experienced explosive growth in recent years. Thousands of people have become interested in this new sport and tracks are being laid all over the country,» said Azhnyuk, referring to the production of drones for the Defense Forces.
He added that he seeks to make Ukraine a world leader in this type of «sport.»
