U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) continued his efforts on Monday to make North Dakota an unmanned aerial system (UAS) research hub by urging manufacturer Elbit Systems to expand its operations in the state.
Hoeven met with executives from Elbit Systems, an Israel-based company that manufactures the Hermes 450 UAS, and local officials on Tuesday. During the meeting, Hoeven highlighted the importance of UAS in precision agriculture and the importance of beyond-line-of-sight operations in testing and advancing UAS technologies.
“North Dakota is well-positioned to support major advancements in the UAS industry,” Hoeven said. “Beyond-line-of-sight operations are the next level in our state’s growth in this dynamic field. It will mean greater opportunities for our test site and companies throughout the valley to advance the integration of UAS into the national airspace, test many new, valuable uses for UAS and allow the training of hundreds of UAS pilots from around the world.”
Hoeven has been working with the FAA to gain approval for beyond-line-of-sight operation in the state, adding that approval would unlock new opportunities to develop UAS technology there.
In urging Elbit leadership to expand the company’s operations in North Dakota, Hoeven highlighted the state’s infrastructure and expertise in the UAS sector, including the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, universities, military bases, startups, large companies and others all working in close proximity.
Hoeven also recently met with officials from the NASA Ames Research Center in California to make the case for a partnership between NASA, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site and the Grand Sky Technology Park to develop unmanned traffic management (UTM) systems and other programs.