TEKNOFEST Combat UAV Competition

TEKNOFEST Combat Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Competition is a contest organized under Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative vision, supporting the nation’s technology objectives with a focus on defense technologies. The competition aims to guide, inspire, and cultivate skilled individuals among youth in the fields of aviation, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence technologies through war scenarios.

TEKNOFEST Combat UAV Competition (Photo: T3 Foundation)

Objective and Vision

The primary objective of the Combat UAV Competition is to provide participants with practical experience experience by simulating air-to-air and air-to-land battle scenarios in a controlled environment, thereby enhancing the technical capabilities of young individuals who may achieve success in this field in the future. Although UAVs are currently used 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 viewed as a step step toward enabling UAVs to acquire close decision making capabilities and environmental awareness traditionally associated with human intelligence.

Competition Format

The competition is conducted using UAVs that fly simultaneously and engage in combat with each other. 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)

Eligibility Criteria

The competition is open to high school students, 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.

Competition Stages

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

Categories and Technical Classification

The TEKNOFEST Combat UAV Competition is conducted exclusively under the Fixed Fixed-Wing UAV category. Technical definitions are 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 under the fixed-wing category as long as their flight is maintained by wings.

TEKNOFEST Combat UAV Competition (Photo: T3 Foundation)

Education and Outcomes

The competition not only imparts technical skills to participants but also makes significant contributions in areas such as 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.

Relationship with the National Technology Initiative

The competition aligns with Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative, 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.