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From Drone Racing to the Battlefield: Keirin Joyce Part 2
Wing Commander Keirin Joyce returns for Part 2 of his Tactics & Tech conversation, turning to where uncrewed systems are heading next. Drawing on his PhD in technology prediction, Keirin argues the hardware problems are largely a matter of time, while the real challenges lie in software, autonomy, and trust.
In conversation with hosts Andrew Crowe and Josh Bailey, Keirin explains why certification has become the long pole in the tent for the whole industry, from AI-generated code that 1990s-era standards were never built to handle, to hydrogen-electric propulsion no aviation safety authority yet knows how to certify. The tension is clear: in a society that grants no trust until something is certified, regulation may be a bigger brake on progress than technology.
The episode also looks at how military drone racing builds social licence for drones, opens STEM pathways into defence industry and academia, and creates adaptive sport for injured and veteran personnel.
Key takeaways
- (00:00 to 01:15) The ScanEagle began as a tuna-spotting aircraft before soldiers repurposed it for surveillance, a perfect example of Keirin's theme that technology becomes powerful or not depending on how people use it.
- (02:28 to 04:55) Military drone racing is gaining momentum, with upcoming events in the US and UK, growing interest from Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore, and a possible event in Australia's north around 2027.
- (05:22 to 06:45) Hardware is advancing steadily, but software, AI and autonomy are the hard problems, along with how to trust code a human did not write.
- (06:52 to 07:55) Certification is the biggest bottleneck, with software standards rooted in 1990s aircraft practice and poorly suited to AI-generated code.
- (08:23 to 09:55) Hydrogen-electric propulsion is a major focus for new designs, yet no safety authority anywhere has a regulation for certifying it.
- (09:55 to 10:55) Regulation, not technology, may be the primary constraint, with the real challenge being the balance between under and over regulation.
- (12:36 to 13:25) Australia has grown to around 30,000 remote pilot licences in a decade, while the regulator's capacity has not kept pace.
- (13:25 to 16:25) Military drone racing is building social licence, STEM and recruitment pathways, and adaptive sport for veterans, with a pitch for Invictus around 2031.
View all episodes
By Joshua BaileyWing Commander Keirin Joyce returns for Part 2 of his Tactics & Tech conversation, turning to where uncrewed systems are heading next. Drawing on his PhD in technology prediction, Keirin argues the hardware problems are largely a matter of time, while the real challenges lie in software, autonomy, and trust.
In conversation with hosts Andrew Crowe and Josh Bailey, Keirin explains why certification has become the long pole in the tent for the whole industry, from AI-generated code that 1990s-era standards were never built to handle, to hydrogen-electric propulsion no aviation safety authority yet knows how to certify. The tension is clear: in a society that grants no trust until something is certified, regulation may be a bigger brake on progress than technology.
The episode also looks at how military drone racing builds social licence for drones, opens STEM pathways into defence industry and academia, and creates adaptive sport for injured and veteran personnel.
Key takeaways
- (00:00 to 01:15) The ScanEagle began as a tuna-spotting aircraft before soldiers repurposed it for surveillance, a perfect example of Keirin's theme that technology becomes powerful or not depending on how people use it.
- (02:28 to 04:55) Military drone racing is gaining momentum, with upcoming events in the US and UK, growing interest from Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore, and a possible event in Australia's north around 2027.
- (05:22 to 06:45) Hardware is advancing steadily, but software, AI and autonomy are the hard problems, along with how to trust code a human did not write.
- (06:52 to 07:55) Certification is the biggest bottleneck, with software standards rooted in 1990s aircraft practice and poorly suited to AI-generated code.
- (08:23 to 09:55) Hydrogen-electric propulsion is a major focus for new designs, yet no safety authority anywhere has a regulation for certifying it.
- (09:55 to 10:55) Regulation, not technology, may be the primary constraint, with the real challenge being the balance between under and over regulation.
- (12:36 to 13:25) Australia has grown to around 30,000 remote pilot licences in a decade, while the regulator's capacity has not kept pace.
- (13:25 to 16:25) Military drone racing is building social licence, STEM and recruitment pathways, and adaptive sport for veterans, with a pitch for Invictus around 2031.