NE North Dakota News

Hundreds of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) experts gathered at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks on October 14-15 for the 19th annual UAS Summit and Expo. The event, organized by BBI International, attracted 750 registered attendees from 35 states and six countries, making it the largest summit to date.

John Nelson, chief operating officer at BBI International, described the region as a leader in unmanned innovation. “This community’s momentum doesn’t stop,” he said. “Together, we’re advancing unmanned systems, supporting national security and shaping the next era of UAS through research, technology and real-world applications.” Nelson also noted that Grand Forks is positioned to lead counter-UAS research efforts.

During the summit period, U.S. Senator John Hoeven announced that Grand Forks Air Force Base will become the Point Defense Battle Lab for Air Combat Command. This lab will work with industry partners to develop strategies against hostile drone activity. Hoeven also revealed a partnership with AeroVironment to deploy its AV HALO radar system at Grand Sky Business and Aviation Park for detecting and tracking drone traffic.

The University of North Dakota (UND) continues to play a significant role in developing the regional UAS ecosystem through education and partnerships with defense organizations. UND President Andy Armacost referred to UND as “a proving ground for counter-UAS,” highlighting initiatives such as a memorandum of understanding with the North Dakota Air and Army National Guards for conducting counter-UAS experiments at Camp Grafton and Gorman Field. Armacost mentioned that UND has built a facility allowing students to simulate counter-UAS technologies.

Armacost also emphasized UND’s commitment to examining legal and ethical questions related to artificial intelligence (AI), which is closely connected to UAS development. “I think the University of North Dakota, as a flagship institution that involves not just our technology development, but also our amazing work in the liberal arts and humanities, allows us to look at AI in the context of humanity,” he said. “How do we adopt these technologies, keeping humanity at the forefront?”

North Dakota Lieutenant Governor Michelle Strinden discussed how private industry, government, and academia collaborate within Grand Forks’ UAS ecosystem—a partnership she described as essential for progress. She referenced House Bill 1038 authorizing integration of FAA radar data with Vantis—the state network enabling Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight flights—which will expand coverage across most of North Dakota’s land area. Senate Bill 2018 appropriates $9 million for state agencies to replace drones not compliant with federal security standards; Strinden noted this is critical since most current drones used by agencies are manufactured abroad.

“From a national security standpoint, we need to be 100 percent certain that the drones we are using meet the highest standards for privacy, data control and safety,” she said. “We can’t afford to put those things into the hands of our biggest strategic adversary.”

Due to an ongoing federal government shutdown, Senators Hoeven and Kevin Cramer appeared virtually at the summit alongside Troy Meink from the Air Force. Meink explained how small-range drones have changed modern warfare dynamics—especially evident in conflicts like Russia-Ukraine—and stressed air superiority’s continued importance: “Essentially, it has degraded into a sort of World War I-style trench warfare where drones have replaced artillery,” Meink said. “From an Air Force perspective, we don’t ever want to get into that type of scenario.” Hoeven added: “There’s nothing we do in warfare that doesn’t require air dominance.”

Meink further discussed logistical challenges faced by armed forces in regions such as the Pacific theater: “Even in a fast jet, it’s four or five hours between locations,” he said.

Hoeven highlighted advances like SkyRange—a hypersonic missile testing program based at Grand Sky utilizing retrofitted RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft—as more effective than previous methods relying on Navy ships stationed overseas.

Erin Roesler received this year’s Sky Pioneer Award for her leadership as deputy executive director of Northern Plains UAS Test Site—one of seven sites authorized nationally by FAA—and her advisory role on national policy committees concerning drone regulation.