„Capture the Flag“ with UAS swarms

How can uncrewed systems strategically cooperate to flexibly and reliably respond to unforeseen events? Autonomously, without requiring human intervention. In the second edition of the Swarm Drone Challenge, jointly organized by brigkAir and MBDA Germany, participants were invited to develop the best solutions to this significant challenge. Once again, as in the last challenge two years ago, Team Flying Algorithms from Abu Dhabi excelled.

In both commercial and military applications, much hope rests on the future use of uncrewed systems as swarms. It’s not merely about sending a large number of UxS on a mission simultaneously. It’s about a multitude of drones interacting with each other and acting like a single organism, where all contribute to the success of a mission. This is crucial even when situational responses are required, such as during enemy contact. The ability to cooperate is at least as important as individual capabilities. Or to use an analogy from the ongoing football World Cup: It’s not necessarily the best individual players who win; typically, it’s the team that works best together that lifts the trophy.

Drone swarms operate under realistic conditions

To rigorously test the capabilities of drones, sensors, software, and AI algorithms, competitive sports events are a suitable avenue. The Swarm Drone Challenge by brigkAIR and MBDA Germany thus once again brought together teams from research and development to evaluate the performance of autonomous drone swarms under realistic conditions. Over eight months, the 16 participating teams from eleven nations competed and learned from one another before the major final in Berlin. During the International Aerospace Exhibition 2026, the custom-built Drone Pavilion served as the venue for live competitions between autonomous drone swarms – a true premiere.

Under the watchful eyes of a high-profile jury, the teams had to show how efficiently their technology performs in direct competition

In front of a knowledgeable jury, participants needed to demonstrate the level of innovation, technical implementation, tactical performance, and operational relevance of their solutions. Two teams sent their autonomous swarms into a „Capture the Flag“ competition. The challenge was that the swarms had to solve a variety of complex tasks and respond to their opponents’ actions without direct external control. Effective coordination, rapid information processing, and robust interplay among various system components were the keys to success.

It’s reminiscent of the past: Two years ago, Flying Algorithms celebrated victory, and now they have managed to defend their title in Berlin

Just like in the first Swarm Drone Challenge two years ago, Flying Algorithms emerged as the winner, taking home a prize of 50,000 euros. The team from Abu Dhabi particularly impressed with its highly developed strategic approach and precise flight maneuvers. However, not only Flying Algorithms, but all other finalists could feel like winners in the end. Besides the competitive element, a key goal of the Swarm Drone Challenge was to connect young talents with established companies. The ILA 2026 provided an ideal platform for this purpose.

Images: Paul Heinze / brigkAIR