Because safety is in our hands

Drone Combat Academy is a mission — we are building the ability to defend ourselves. It is based on the experience Aerorozvedka pilots have gathered over four years in Ukraine: on combat positions, from commanders who planned and decided how to strike the enemy, and from Ukrainian engineers with whom we regularly discuss tactics and technologies of the drone domain.

We offer short lectures as well as full in-person and online training. You put the modules together according to your focus and your time. Everyone has taken off with us.

Pilot, or engineer?

You can be a pilot: you fly your drone well, you know the map, jamming and the weaknesses of drones, you can connect and check an antenna, evaluate a mission and choose the right drone with the right settings. You can admit a mistake and do everything so that next time the result of your whole team is better.

You can also be an engineer: you want to program drones, you understand configuration in detail and you make sure your drones and equipment are always functional and combat-ready.

What you learn on FPV drones you will use on other types as well. The goal is for your team to be able to rely on you to get the job done.

Module overview

Demonstration day

For the armed forces, police, rescue services and other groups that want to see what Aerorozvedka can do — a static and dynamic demonstration of our range of drones. All our drone types have seen combat deployment, so you will learn how they performed and how to operate them properly. We will discuss your specific needs, which drone would suit you and how it should be set up.

You will hear an approaching kamikaze aircraft, see a ground drone on a thermal camera and what it can drive through, the operation of a bomber and the handling of the equipment. We will put together the team and the scope according to your requirements and come to you.

Drone operator

The absolute basics for complete beginners who want to fly a drone but do not want to deal with building, repairs and programming. You will be able to fly in a simulator, understand drone deployment tactics and the technologies around FPV drones.

• Development of drone warfare in Ukraine.
• Categories of drones and how they work (FPV, bombers, aircraft, interceptors, UGV).
• Technologies and communications used (Starlink, LTE, fibre optics, mesh).
• Drone construction and electronics — power, video, control and FPV drone components.
• Deployment tactics — mission preparation, execution and evaluation.
• Measuring and testing antennas and fibre optics.
• A drone operator's field kit and non-public materials from the combat environment.
• Flying in a simulator, including a military simulator.

Four days of classroom training, always from 9:00 to 17:00. On the last day we may finish up to two hours later.

Pilot engineer

An advanced module for Drone operator graduates and for engineers who want to build and repair drones. You will learn to solder, flash and configure drone components.

• Assembling an FPV drone from scratch — soldering, electronics and first power-up.
• Configuration, setup and calibration.
• Batteries, charging and pre-flight preparation.
• All necessary tools are lent to you.

At the end of the day you will have a built and configured drone ready to fly, which you take home together with goggles, a controller, a battery, a charger and propellers. One day of classroom training from 9:00 to 17:00; the finish may shift depending on how fast the assembly and configuration go.

Drone Combat Academy — Workshop

A more flexible format for those who cannot take a whole week off. You can attend from anywhere and it runs live online. The content follows the Drone operator module — from the development of drone warfare in Ukraine through technologies and communications to deployment tactics, antenna measurement and non-public materials from the combat environment.

Three days of online training, always from 9:00 to 14:00: the first two days in the first week, the third day in the following week. A working computer with an internet connection is required.

Simulator

Follows on from the Workshop and adds the missing piece — actually learning to fly. We will go through several simulators including a military one, you will learn to fly an FPV drone with your own controller, engage ground and air targets, and finally fly missions together as a team.

Eight hours online; you need a Windows or Mac computer with an internet connection. Each participant buys their own controller from the models we recommend — the price ranges from CZK 1,500 to 3,000 and the controller can later be fully used for real FPV drones. We will send a controller catalogue and video instructions for installation once your participation is confirmed.

Practical training

The culmination of the previous modules. You will turn your simulator experience into real FPV drone control and learn the necessary setups. The goal is to get hands-on with the training rigs, experience the work with an FPV drone and its pitfalls, and master fine piloting — including flying with a loaded drone and with additional attachments.

You will also see a ground drone, drones with Starlink, a bomber and aircraft control, but the main focus is on FPV drones. If you come without your own drone, you will fly ours. The time required at the training ground is one day.

How the modules fit together

Tier 1 is designed for complete beginners who want to end up as independent FPV drone pilots. There are two paths:

• In person: Drone operator and Pilot engineer follow each other within a single week — the first four days Drone operator, the last day Pilot engineer.
• Online: the Workshop followed by the Simulator. You can take the Simulator even two months after the Workshop, whenever it suits you.

Both paths lead into Practical training, which is a standalone module you can take any time later. After it you can continue to Tier 2 and choose a specialisation — reconnaissance drone operator, bomber operator or interceptor pilot.

What else you get

• Access to non-public study materials and military manuals, which we keep adding to.
• One hour of free consultation any time after completing the course.
• Access to the closed graduate community on Discord.
• A certificate of completion and Aerorozvedka merch.
• Non-public instructional videos released gradually to graduates only — for example preparing an FPV drone with fibre optics, packing a drone operator's backpack, or missions, setup and control of a bomber and a reconnaissance drone.

Your instructors

Aerorozvedka is a volunteer association of engineers, pilots, programmers, designers and other great people. We have been operating in Ukraine since 2022 — working on positions, training Ukrainian pilots, repairing drones and equipment, and developing our own technology. We pass these first-hand experiences on to you through the Drone Combat Academy.

Registration and information

Academy capacity is limited. After evaluating your application, we will contact you individually with further details, dates, and pricing.

• Registration Form
• To choose one or more modules, arrange a presentation of the whole training series, or ask anything else, contact us at academy@aerorozvedka.cz

We reserve the right not to invite certain applicants to the course.