Hoeven Showcases North Dakota UAS Ecosystem for Army Undersecretary

EMERADO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today showcased North Dakota’s unmanned aerial systems (UAS) ecosystem for Undersecretary of the Army Michael Obadal in a bid to demonstrate how Army counter-drone research and development can benefit from the work that is ongoing in the state. During tours of the Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB) and GrandSKY, as well as in a meeting with UAS and counter-UAS researchers from the University of North Dakota (UND), Hoeven highlighted: Project ULTRA, stressing how the initiative takes an innovative approach to defense contracting, helping the military to develop and deploy the capabilities it needs more quickly and at a lower cost to taxpayers. Project ULTRA is currently working to develop cost-effective measures to detect and neutralize threats from unmanned aircraft, while also expanding the practical applications of UAS through unmanned cargo flights between GFAFB and Cavalier Space Force Station. Hoeven established and funded Project ULTRA and subsequently secured an increased contract ceiling of $100 million to support future expansions of the initiative’s drone and counter-drone operations. Point Defense Battle Lab, which tests and validates advanced technologies, tactics, techniques and procedures to defend military installations from small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) threats. Hoeven worked with Air Force leadership to advance Grand Forks’ selection for the battle lab . UND research into drone and counter-drone technologies. Hoeven is working to advance a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between UND and the Joint Inter Agency Task Force 401 (JIATF 401), which is tasked with coordinating U.S. counter-drone defenses. The MOU will be the first of its kind, giving UND a critical role in identifying promising counter-UAS technologies that warrant further evaluation and development by JIATF 401. The Technology Readiness Experimentation (T-REX) event, a two-week event held last month at GFAFB, GrandSKY and Camp Grafton where companies with promising drone and counter-drone technology were able to demonstrate their capabilities to the Department of War. “For those that want to develop drone and counter-drone technologies, North Dakota is the place to be. We made that point clearly to Undersecretary Obadal during his visit today,” said Hoeven. “Today’s event was an opportunity to showcase the exciting and innovative work being done by the Grand Forks Air Force Base, GrandSKY, UND and their partners. We already have counter-UAS work underway with the Point Defense Battle Lab and Project ULTRA, and we have even more developments in the works with UND, JIATF 401 and others, so we’re well-equipped to meet this critical defense need for the Army.” -###-