Hoeven: Counter-Drone Must Become a Cornerstone of U.S. Defense Strategy

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today held a virtual fireside chat with U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink as part of the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Summit in Grand Forks. Hoeven invited Meink to attend the summit as part of his ongoing efforts to leverage North Dakota’s unique UAS ecosystem to:
“Technology is rapidly changing warfare around the world. We developed Project ULTRA because we can’t wait on the traditional acquisition process. The U.S. needed a new approach to keep pace with our adversaries and overcome the serious risk posed by unmanned aircraft, and there is no better place in the world to do that work than Grand Forks,” said Hoeven. “Ultimately, this is about getting to a unified counter-drone defense strategy, like we did with missile defense. That’s the long-term goal, and considering the threat we face, it needs to be a cornerstone of U.S. defense. We’re taking the first steps right here in North Dakota, and we’re able to do so because of the unique set of partnerships and capabilities that we’ve brought together.”
ADVANCING COUNTER-UAS DEFENSES
DEVELOPING PRACTICAL MILITARY APPLICATIONS
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