TEKNOFEST Combat UAV Competition

TEKNOFEST Combat Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Competition is a contest organized under the vision of the National Technology Initiative, supporting Türkiye’s goals of technological independence in the field of technology, with a focus on defense technologies. The competition aims to guide, encourage, and cultivate skilled individuals in the fields of aviation, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence by promoting their application in combat scenarios.

^{TEKNOFEST Combat UAV Competition (Photo: T3 Foundation)}

The primary objective of the Combat UAV Competition is to provide participants with practical experience in developing these technologies by simulating air-to-air and air-to-ground combat scenarios in a controlled environment, while enhancing the technical skills of young individuals who may achieve success in this field in the future. While UAVs are widely used globally for reconnaissance, surveillance, and search-and-rescue like missions, maneuvers requiring high autonomy at the level of manned fighter jets are still performed using manned platforms. This competition is regarded as a significant step toward enabling UAVs to acquire decision-making capabilities and environmental awareness approaching that of human operators.

The competition is conducted using UAVs that fly simultaneously and engage in direct combat. It consists of two main tasks:

• Combat UAV Task: Teams must autonomously detect and lock onto enemy targets and simulate combat scenarios within the defined rules.
• Kamikaze UAV Task: Participants develop systems that autonomously lock onto targets and simulate self-destruction upon impact.

^{TEKNOFEST Combat UAV Competition (Photo: T3 Foundation)}

The competition is open to high school, university students, and graduates. Graduates may also apply as startups or companies. Teams may consist of a minimum of three and a maximum of fifteen members.

The competition process includes the following technical and practical evaluation steps:

1. Technical Competency Form
2. Critical Design Report (CDR)
3. Flight-Pilot Proof Video and System Description Video
4. Final Competition

The TEKNOFEST Combat UAV Competition is conducted exclusively under the Fixed-Wing UAV category. Technical specifications are defined as follows:

• Fixed-Wing UAV: Vehicles that generate lift for flight through wings.
• Rotary-Wing UAV: Vehicles that generate lift through rotating propellers.
• VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) Fixed-Wing UAV: Vehicles that are classified as fixed-wing as long as their flight is sustained by wings.

^{TEKNOFEST Combat UAV Competition (Photo: T3 Foundation)}

The competition not only imparts technical skills to participants but also provides significant contributions in problem solving, teamwork, strategic thinking, engineering discipline, and applied project development. Additionally, it directs young talent toward the defense industry and plays a role in promoting domestic technology production.

The competition aligns with Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative by aiming to develop high-tech defense products domestically and nationally. In this context, the TEKNOFEST Combat UAV Competition serves as a strategic platform preparing the engineers of tomorrow for dominance in the skies.