Drone racers might seem like ideal combat pilots. But trainers say they have to relearn almost everything.

• People who race drones for sport can fly them rapidly and accurately.
• But that doesn’t mean they’re good at using drones for combat, expert trainers say.
• Combat drone pilots must learn to stalk targets, often over long periods, experienced trainers said.

She said that initial reporting from Ukraine had suggested that only people with specific skill sets could fly drones, but that, when they started testing people from different military occupations, backgrounds, and ages, “a good majority of people can learn how to do this and do it well.” Only a small proportion of people couldn’t progress.

They had expected far more people to fail, and concluded instead that “just about anyone can pick up this skill if you’re provided the resources to do it.”