Hoeven Announces Project ATLAS Unmanned Research Initiative

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today announced Project ATLAS, an unmanned research initiative he worked to fund and establish between the University of North Dakota (UND), NASA, the U.S. Department of War (DoW) and the North Dakota National Guard (NDNG). Project ATLAS is a new DoW initiative to integrate the capabilities of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and incorporate them into daily training, base support and combat operations. UND will work with NASA to conduct experiments to achieve this goal with support from the North Dakota National Guard (NDNG), which will provide access to its range at Camp Grafton. As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, Hoeven secured nearly $2 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 to launch Project ATLAS. Of this, $1 million will support UND and NASA’s operations, while $750,000 will go to the Guard to support activities at Camp Grafton. Hoeven continues working to secure additional funding for the initiative in FY2027. Project ATLAS’s first task is to identify a ground vehicle to use in future experiments. Next week, the DoW will host a joint unmanned ground vehicle demonstration event, known as Groundbreaker, at Camp Grafton, where the capabilities of various vehicles will be evaluated for inclusion in the initiative. Once a vehicle is selected, NASA and UND will develop experiments linking the UGV and UAS with a focus on improving local base security and logistics. Over time, Project ATLAS will take on increasingly complex tasks, building toward the capability for a single operator to use UAS and UGV systems simultaneously, with the aircraft and ground vehicles collaborating autonomously to accomplish a wide range of objectives, such as: Assisting with maintenance operations. Equipment or supply deliveries. Responding to security threats. “Project ATLAS, a new partnership between UND, NASA, the Department of War and the North Dakota National Guard, is the result of all the unmanned capabilities we have developed and serves as a logical next step in the growth of our UAS ecosystem. By combining the capabilities of unmanned aircraft with unmanned ground vehicles, we can meet the logistical and security needs of our military and accelerate our leadership in autonomy, with missions from the ground all the way up into space,” said Hoeven. “Today’s discussion with NASA Administrator Isaacman and General Guetlein fits perfectly with the launch of Project ATLAS. We appreciate their attendance at the UAS Summit, as it provides an opportunity to discover new avenues to leverage our expertise in unmanned technology to meet the defense challenges of tomorrow and keep moving the ball forward on our nation’s drone, counter-drone and space capabilities.” UAS Summit Hoeven made the announcement as part of his remarks at the UAS Summit today in Grand Forks, where the senator was joined by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and General Mike Guetlein, Director of Golden Dome for America (GDA). Hoeven invited Isaacman and Guetlein to the state as part of his efforts to strengthen North Dakota’s role as a leader in drone and counter-drone technology and space operations, building on 20 years of efforts to establish the state as a leader in unmanned technology. The senator emphasized the progress the state has made since kicking off this effort as governor in 2006, when he worked to fund and establish UND’s Center of Excellence for UAS Research, Education and Training. Since that time, Hoeven has worked to bring together federal, state, university, military and commercial partners to advance this emerging sector in North Dakota. Among others, these partners include: The Northern Plains UAS Test Site, which was created through legislation Hoeven passed in 2012. The Grand Forks Air Force Base. GrandSKY, a first of its kind UAS business and technology park adjacent to the Grand Forks Air Force Base. Hoeven worked to advance an Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) between Grand Forks County and the Air Force to establish GrandSKY. The University of North Dakota. The U.S. Department of War. The Space Development Agency. The Test Resource Management Center. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Earlier this year, Hoeven secured access to the FAA’s unfiltered radar data feed for the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, the only non-federal entity to have such access. NASA. Hoeven first partnered the state’s UAS ecosystem with NASA in 2016, when he secured North Dakota’s role in the agency’s unmanned traffic management (UTM) research program. A wide range of businesses, from small startups to international corporations. -###-