Taraz holds Kazakhstan’s 1st FPV drone operator competition
In Taraz, the military demonstrated their piloting skills on a challenging course simulating combat conditions, dropping grenades from drones in an attempt to hit targets from high altitude, Kazinform News Agency reports.
This futuristic contest was held as part of the Regional Command "Yug" (South) competitions, where service members maneuvered drones at high speed, guided them through narrow openings, and simultaneously transmitted clear images to the command post. One of the key challenges was grenade dropping — hitting a target the size of an armored vehicle hatch from a height of more than 10 meters.
The military stressed that drones play a crucial role on today’s battlefield. Used for reconnaissance, precision strikes, and urgent deliveries, UAVs are already reshaping the very rules of warfare.
The Regional Command ‘South’ established a UAV systems unit a year ago and has since been actively integrating drones into the daily operations of its units.
“Drones are in demand across all branches — from motorized rifle and engineering-sapper units to communications and mechanized troops. Their applications are virtually limitless, and we are focused on expanding their use, including FPV,” said Lieutenant Colonel Roman Kozhakhmetov, an expert in managing and deploying modern reconnaissance and strike systems.
The top operators were named as Corporal Ulan Suyduov of military unit 12740 in the Saryozek garrison, Corporal Shyngyskhan Seidakhmetov of military unit 66567 in the Kyzylorda garrison, and Sergeant Mukhametzhan Kyrgyzali of the 5th mechanized brigade in Taraz.
First place in the team standings and the Commander’s Challenge Cup of the Regional Command ‘South’ went to the team from military unit 74261 of the Zharkent garrison. The award was presented to team captain Senior Lieutenant Rasul Munalbayev by the Commander of the troops.
The military in Zhambyl region proudly noted that they were the first among Kazakhstan’s Ground Forces regional commands to host such a competition.
As reported earlier, Balykchy city has hosted the grand opening Rubej-2025 command and staff exercise of the collective rapid deployment forces of the CSTO Central Asian region.
