Hoeven Advocates For All Military Reserves to Utilize Guard’s T-REX Site at Camp Grafton to Test Drone Defense

WASHINGTON — At a hearing of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee this week, Senator John Hoeven, advocated for all branches of the military reserves to utilize the National Guard’s Technology Readiness Experimentation (T-REX) site at Camp Grafton for testing drone and counter-drone technologies. The senator highlighted North Dakota’s leadership in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to General Steven Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and the leaders of military reserves, including Air Force Reserve Chief Lt. General John Healy, Marine Forces Reserve Commander Lt. General Len Anderson, Acting Chief of the Naval Reserve Rear Admiral Richard Lofgren and Chief of the Army Reserve Lt. General Robert Harter to use Camp Grafton when testing UAS and counter-UAS capabilities. Hoeven specifically pressed the military leaders to expand participation in the upcoming T-REX event at Camp Grafton this August, emphasizing the site’s role in bringing together industry and warfighters to test and refine emerging capabilities, as well as North Dakota’s unique statewide access to the FAA’s raw radar data feed.
Hoeven also underscored the need for a new readiness center in Jamestown for the 817th Engineer Company, an often-deployed unit currently operating out of a temporary, joint-use facility. During the hearing, General Steven Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, confirmed the Jamestown Readiness Center project is in the design phase and the Guard will continue working with Congress on construction funding.
“Our National Guard and Reserve servicemembers are in the fight every day, doing incredible work to keep our country safe,” said Hoeven. “North Dakota has been leading the way in UAS and counter-UAS capabilities for more than 20 years, and our T-REX event is a key part of that effort, providing a real-world environment to advance these capabilities. As threats continue to evolve, we need to stay ahead by ensuring our warfighters have access to the most advanced tools and testing environment available. At the same time, we have Guard units that are deploying regularly and must ensure they have the facilities they need, including the new Jamestown Readiness Center. We will keep working with our military leaders to move these priorities forward.”
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