High-tech, high-speed aircraft soar through the sky, demonstrating the capabilities and maneuvers that make them deadly tools of war. Military flying machines (driven by jets, propellers, or rotors) zoom as their pilots strive to prove they’re the best at what they do. But all in all, they are after the same mission, proving they are (dramatic pause) . . . Top Gun.
For decades, different branches of the US military (most famously the Navy, thanks in no small part to the death-defying abilities of Tom Cruise) have organized contests and carried out courses pitting their best fliers against each other to see who could handle their airframe better.
But in August of 2025, the Pentagon held the first such competition during which none of the pilots vying for their laurels did so aboard their aircraft: it's very first “Top Drone” school.
Technology Readiness Experimentation (TREX) Exercise
This Top Drone school was, while a major and important event in its own right, one part of a much larger training operation.
Dubbed the Technology Experimentation Exercise, often referred to as T-REX, these events are meant to test and demonstrate how new and nascent technologies and tools can potentially aid US troops in battle.
Held semiannually at the National Guard installation Camp Atterbury, Indiana, it’s a way for the Army to try out and demonstrate the tip-top devices and methods that could potentially shape the battlefields of tomorrow.
This makes it the perfect venue for troops to vie for the title of Top Drone Operator.
US Military Top Drone School
The inaugural four-day-long program was held at Muscatatuck Training Center near Camp Atterbury, as this year’s TREX tested drone tactics, procedures, and platforms under a variety of conditions meant to mimic a variety of field and combat scenarios.
With the aim of eventually holding two Top Drone schools each year, the training course simulated urban terrain, emphasizing maneuverability, endurance, and reconnaissance.
Drones used included untethered first-person view systems and fiber-optic-connected drones. And while the course did not include a true competition that crowned an official winner, it did demonstrate the capabilities and potential of the modern drones available to the US military.
In addition, a separate component at Camp Atterbury included live fire demonstrations by the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team.
The Future of Drones in the US Military
Given the constantly increasing importance and prevalence of unmanned aircraft in military operations, it’s no wonder the armed forces established a program like this.
The Pentagon reportedly plans to increase complexity (e.g., denser, wooded environments, more electronic warfare and jamming threats) and scale the duration of future schools.
This effort aligns with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s strategy for “drone dominance,” aiming for broader adoption of drone capabilities and the necessary supporting organizational and training infrastructure by 2027.
Whether the increasing prevalence of drones in military aviation will affect the career of Academy Award nominee Tom Cruise, however, remains to be seen.
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