07.10.18

Hoeven Marks Trans-Atlantic UAS Flight from Grand Sky to United Kingdom

Senator Advancing North Dakota’s UAS Expertise to Improve Border Security, Develop Counter-UAS & Address Pilot Shortage

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement to mark the beginning of General Atomics’ trans-Atlantic flight from its facility at the Grand Sky Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Technology Park in Grand Forks to Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. The aircraft, an MQ-9B Predator, is traveling to the U.K. in commemoration of the RAF’s centenary celebration and will be on display at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) airshow.

“It’s entirely appropriate that this trans-Atlantic flight is taking off from Grand Forks, because we’re training U.K pilots here at Grand Sky. We welcome the beginning of this exciting milestone, the first of its kind for a medium-altitude UAS,” Hoeven said. “This achievement truly highlights North Dakota’s unique UAS ecosystem, as well as the global impact of the work being done at the Grand Sky Technology Park, where General Atomics trains U.K. pilots. This technology holds potential benefits for a wide range of sectors, from agriculture and energy to defense and border security, and we’re working to ensure our state continues leading the way in developing these capabilities.” 

Hoeven continues his efforts to reinforce North Dakota’s role as a leader in the UAS industry and leverage this technology to improve national security, especially along the northern border. To this end, the senator is advocating for the administration to utilize Grand Forks’ UAS facilities and expertise to improve border security, develop counter-UAS technologies and address the pilot shortage, both for manned and unmanned aircraft. Hoeven is working with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on a timeline for her to visit Grand Forks this summer, which would allow her to see the extensive UAS operations in the region.

Hoeven also joined Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao last month to announce that North Dakota was selected as one of ten sites to participate in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) UAS integration pilot program. As part of this program, the North Dakota test site and the state’s UAS industry will be at the forefront of establishing the safe operation of unmanned aircraft in the national airspace (NAS), providing regulatory certainty for UAS operators and ensuring privacy concerns are addressed.

These efforts dovetail with bipartisan legislation Hoeven recently helped introduce, the Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018. The bill would give the DHS and the Department of Justice (DOJ) authority to protect important facilities from security risks posed by unmanned aircraft. At the same time, the bill directs the DHS to evaluate emerging UAS threats and to research and test technology to address these risks. The legislation has been passed by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), on which Hoeven serves, and awaits consideration by the full Senate.

Further, Hoeven worked through his role on the Senate Homeland Security and Defense Appropriations Committees to secure funding and provisions in the Senate’s (FY) 2019 appropriations legislation to help advance UAS operations, research and development at DHS and the Department of Defense, including Customs and Border Protection and Global Hawk operations in Grand Forks.

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