Hoeven Outlines National Security, Counter-UAS Opportunities in Grand Forks to Air Force Vice Chief of Staff

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven outlined to Gen. James Slife, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, opportunities to leverage the Grand Forks region’s expertise in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to enhance national security and address the increasing risks from the misuse of drone technology. In particular, Hoeven highlighted:
“The Grand Forks region offers capabilities and capacity, unlike anywhere else, to address emerging national defense concerns. That includes protecting against the malicious use of drones, as well as leveraging the Grand Forks Air Force base’s longstanding excellence in ISR and its newfound leadership in satellite operations to ensure we have adequate intelligence operations, whether in the air or space, to meet the needs of our military across the globe,” said Hoeven. “Having General Slife here in North Dakota presents a great opportunity to make the case for utilizing our state’s expertise in UAS. With Project ULTRA receiving a contract increase in the coming weeks and the unfiltered FAA radar data feed nearly ready to go, we have the pieces in place to meet these critical military needs.”
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