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The Turkish Land Forces' first team won the International Best Military Drone Team Competition (BIMDTC-2026), the first event of its kind, beating Pakistan, Italy and France in the final in Ankara on Saturday.
Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu used the event to say the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) aim to produce 10 million kamikaze systems in 10 years.
The Distinguished Observer Day was held at Martyr Army Pilot 1st Lt. Gurcan Ulucan Square in Temelli, in Ankara's Sincan district.
Land Forces Commander Gen. Metin Tokel, Deputy National Defense Minister Bilal Durdali, and Gendarmerie General Commander Gen. Ali Cardakci attended.
Sudan’s Land Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Malik Altayeb Khogali Alneil, Somalia’s Land Forces Commander Brig. Gen. Sahal Abdulahi Omer, and Aselsan General Manager Ahmet Akyol were also present.
In the final, teams of military personnel from different countries flew drones through a course of 23 obstacles, with pilots judged on speed, maneuvering and flight skills.
The Turkish Land Forces’ first team won with a time of 41.417. Pakistan finished second with 50.253, Italy third with 50.680, and France fourth with 57.142.
Bayraktaroglu presented the first-place award to the Turkish team.
Tokel gave Pakistan its award, and Alneil presented Italy’s.
Each country could enter a team of up to three people, including at least two FPV pilots, drawn from active-duty or reserve military personnel. Teams with the best course times qualified for the final.
Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu stated Türkiye developed its ability to produce domestic solutions through the National Technology Move launched under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"The localization rate in our defense industry reaching 83% is a concrete result of the work carried out with determination in this field. The capabilities developed in the field of unmanned systems also demonstrate the technological level achieved," he said.
"As the Turkish Armed Forces, we aim to produce 5 million kamikaze systems in five years and 10 million in 10 years," he said.
"While these achievements increase the strength of our Turkish Armed Forces, they also reinforce our independence in the field of defense," he added, noting, "By combining the opportunities provided by our defense industry with your knowledge, experience and determination to serve, we will continue to increase the combat readiness, operational capability and deterrence of our Turkish Armed Forces."
Bayraktaroglu said the Turkish Armed Forces are a deterrent power in the region, backed by military cooperation and shared experience with friendly and allied countries.
"In the future combat concept, the center of combat is no longer the front line, but decision-making time, perception management and interaction between systems," he said.
"In future battles, the winner will be determined by who perceives the war and decides faster and who uses manned and unmanned systems more harmoniously," the Turkish army chief added.
"This competition, held for the first time at the international level in the military field within the scope of unmanned systems, was conducted between Oct. 19 and 26, 2026. In this context, we are pleased to host competitors from 19 countries and observers from 14 countries," he said.
"At a time when global and regional security challenges are increasing, the joint and effective use of manned and unmanned systems is one of the decisive elements of the battlefield," Bayraktaroglu noted.
"Our goal is to ensure that these systems are used in a way that complements each other to protect our personnel, reduce casualties and increase our operational effectiveness. For this, we must bring together technological capabilities with the right tactics and qualified manpower," he added.
"This organization, attended by competitors from 19 countries and observers from 14 countries, is an important international platform that brings together military personnel from different countries," the Turkish Land Forces Commander Tokel stated.
"At the same time, at a time when information superiority and decision-making speed are becoming increasingly important, this competition allows the sharing of the military knowledge and experience of different armies," he said.
"I sincerely believe that this interaction will contribute to the development of interoperability, which is of great importance on the battlefield of the future," Tokel added.
"With our deep-rooted military knowledge, operational experience and indigenous and national technologies, we attach importance to contributing to work within NATO, sharing our experience with friendly and allied countries, and setting an example with our innovative practices," he said.
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