EventUS

42nd Annual Best Ranger Competition

Annual US Army Rangers elite competition; 2026 edition first to integrate live FPV drones.

Last refreshed: 18 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Timeline for 42nd Annual Best Ranger Competition

#6 10 Apr

Integrated live Powerus Matrix-T FPV drones for the first time in its history

Drones: Industry & Defence: 75th Rangers fly live Powerus FPVs at Best Ranger

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Background

The 42nd Annual Best Ranger Competition is the premier evaluation of Ranger-qualified soldiers in the US Army, held at Fort Moore, Georgia. The 2026 edition ran 10-12 April and marked the first time live FPV drones were integrated into a Best Ranger competition, with the 75th Rangers selecting Powerus Matrix-T platforms.

The competition tests two-person Teams across physical events, weapons qualification, and tactical scenarios designed to push Ranger-qualified soldiers to their limits. Adding live drone piloting to the competition tasks signals that unmanned systems proficiency is now considered a core special operations competency alongside traditional Ranger skills.

Common Questions

What is the Best Ranger Competition?

The Best Ranger Competition is an annual US Army event testing Ranger-qualified two-person Teams across physical, weapons, and tactical events. The 2026 edition was the first to use live FPV drones.Source: Background

How the World Sees Them

Israel Defense Forces (Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir)

The battlefield is changing at a dizzying pace, and we are changing with it.

EHang (chairman and chief executive Huazhi Hu)

recent industry air incidents have prompted a more cautious regulatory stance in China

DroneShield

does not guarantee any orders and any amounts cannot be quantified

Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of War

a good start, but it's certainly not enough

Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA)

overcome the limitations of the existing fixed-wing-type divisional reconnaissance drone

Taiwan's Executive Yuan (Cabinet)

deep regret

Japan Ministry of Defense

the organisation that makes the most use of unmanned assets in the world

Direction Générale de l'Armement (Alexandre Lahousse)

la lettre de commandes est partie hier

Danish Ministry of Defence (Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus)

another step in establishing a proper drone shield

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 18 April 2026. Editorial standards.