06.29.20

Hoeven Announces FAA Funding for UAS Research in North Dakota

Senator Secured Funding for Grant Program in FY19 Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Committee, today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $782,115 to the Scientific Applications and Research Associates, Inc. (SARA) to research unmanned aerial systems (UAS) detect and avoid capabilities. This research will be conducted through the Northern Plains UAS Test Site.

The grant is made possible using $6 million in funding Hoeven secured in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Transportation funding bill for companies that work with the UAS test sites to demonstrate or validate technologies essential to integrating UAS into the national airspace.

“North Dakota is home to vital UAS missions, and we continue to expand our leadership in researching, developing and implementing this technology,” said Hoeven. “We secured this funding through the annual appropriations process to bolster our efforts in North Dakota and help our test site advance UAS detect and avoid capabilities, which are critical to unlocking the economic and national security benefits of unmanned aircraft.” 

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