Hoeven Secures $5.5 Million For Project Ultra to Expand Drone, Counter-Drone Capabilities

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today announced that he has secured $5.5 million for Project ULTRA to set up a testbed at Grand Sky to develop and expand testing of drone and counter-drone technologies. Today’s funding will enable Project ULTRA to: Establish a counter-UAS (cUAS) testbed, including: Integrating cUAS technology with air traffic management systems. Conducting live and simulated UAS attack scenarios. Expand unmanned logistics flights, including: Continuing cargo flights between Grand Forks Air Force Base and Cavalier Space Force Station, which started under the project’s second Task Order. The addition of logistics flights from Grand Forks Air Force Base to Camp Grafton. Live flights under the Task Order will begin in the first half of 2027. This is the fourth Task Order awarded to the project since Hoeven first funded and established the UAS initiative through his role on the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, with the senator having secured a total of $16.4 million for the project to date. Hoeven also continues working to fund future Task Orders, which is made possible due to his efforts to increase Project ULTRA’s project ceiling to $100 million , up from $18 million. “Task Order 4 is a critical milestone for not only Project ULTRA but our efforts to advance North Dakota as a leader in counter-drone technology development. This $5.5 million award will enable the creation of a cUAS testbed, where private sector partners can work to integrate their technology with air traffic management systems. That’s an essential step for making this technology work in the real world, so we can effectively protect against the misuse of drones. We’re already testing unmanned cargo and logistics flights between Grand Forks Air Force Base and Cavalier and now we’ll be able to add flights between the base and Camp Grafton, a priority that will enhance the effectiveness and flexibility of military operations in all sorts of environments around the globe,” said Hoeven. -###-