Hoeven: North Dakota has Increasing Momentum in Counter-UAS

EMERADO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today marked the formal beginning of the Point Defense Battle Lab at a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, Hoeven worked with Air Force leadership to advance Grand Forks’ selection for the battle lab, which will test and validate advanced technologies to defend installations from small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) threats. Specifically:
“Between the Point Defense Battle Lab, Project ULTRA, the T-REX event at Camp Grafton, and the major investments we continue to secure in this region’s aerospace tech ecosystem, our state has real momentum in counter-UAS,” said Hoeven. “Conflicts in Ukraine, Israel and Iran clearly demonstrate the dangers rising from the increased use of drone technology, and the Department of War increasingly recognizes the value our ecosystem provides in responding to these threats. That’s why we’re working to leverage North Dakota’s expertise to ensure the U.S. has the counter-UAS capabilities needed to protect our nation and its installations against attacks. The battle lab, in conjunction with our broader tech ecosystem, is positioned to move this priority forward in a big way.”
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