FPV Drones changing the face of modern warfare

First Person View drones, aka quadcopters or FPV kamikazes, are helping to change the rules of modern warfare.

Highly agile, difficult to track and destroy and capable of carrying payloads of deadly explosives, First Person View (FPV) drones can be controlled remotely by pilots wearing head-mounted displays – FPV goggles – that show live feed from an onboard camera. Some no bigger than a dinner plate, PPV drones cost from hundreds to a few thousand pounds each. In 2023, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country would be producing one million FPV drones for operational reason, including targeting and reconnaissance, in 2024.

FPV drone piloting skills are now in high demand in the UK Armed Forces, as well as most military powers and the race is on to develop trained pilots who can manoeuvre them with speed and dexterity over difficult terrain in a variety of environmental conditions. FPV drones lack sophisticated features such as GPS tracking, advanced sensors or stabilisers, which means they are difficult to keep in the air. But this also means they are capable of feats of incredible agility and acrobatic manoeuvres at high speed – depending on the pilot’s ability to fly using a hand-held controller.

FPV drones need to avoid obstacles as they fly close to the ground to avoid detection and can easily be defected by a gust of wind or the blast of ground fire.

On board video has made them warriors in the PR battles too. The Ukrainian Forces, fighting against Russian invaders on their home soil, regularly post videos which swiftly go viral, showing Russians being attacked, or lead to safety by drones hovering a few metres over their heads. Not surprisingly, Ukrainian drone pilots are some of the best in the world, their abilities honed by the reality of life on the front line.

FPV Drones are not just used in warfare – they are increasingly being used in agricultural, entertainment and earth observation, because they can get close to the ground and show geographical features in close up, unlike satellite imagery.

But they are only as good as their human handlers. This is where FPV drones racing comes in.

The UK Army already has its own Drone Racing Sports Association which encourages members to fly drones in their spare time and race them in competitive games.

Many of the people taking part are also in the jHub Drone Academy, which is a new army initiative which trains around 80 pilots.

There are also a growing number of amateur leagues including the British Drone Racing Association is holding its own British Championships on the 20th and 21st of September 2025 at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex.

Competitors race around a circuit including obstacles, gates and sometimes in darkness to see who gets the fastest possible time without crashing out of the competition.