U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) recently announced the activation of the Vantis Federal Radar Data Enclave, a secure integration of unfiltered radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with the Vantis system at the Northern Plains Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Test Site in Grand Forks, N.D.
The test site is the first non-federal entity in the nation to have access to the FAA’s unfiltered radar data feed, according to Sen. Hoeven’s staff.
“The Vantis Federal Radar Data Enclave cements North Dakota as the most advanced UAS ecosystem in the nation,” Sen. Hoeven said on Feb. 27, noting that federal radar data is one of the most comprehensive sources of airspace awareness available.
The enclave establishes North Dakota as the national model for managing UAS traffic in the National Airspace and gives the state several competitive advantages, such as providing capabilities needed to address counter-drone and national security concerns.
“North Dakota is already a top proving ground for UAS technology, and launching the Radar Data Pathfinder program at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site will elevate our position as a hub for UAS innovation to even greater heights,” said North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong.
“This collaboration with the FAA, made possible by the work of Sen. Hoeven and an $11 million investment we approved with the state legislature last year, will help shape the future of UAS operations in North Dakota and the United States, and set the standard for integrating UAS into the national airspace,” the governor added.
The initiative comes as a result of Sen. Hoeven’s efforts to pass the 2024 FAA reauthorization bill that included a requirement that the FAA evaluate how its radar data feeds could help integrate UAS into the national airspace.
“We recognized that bringing this data feed to our state was essential for raising our UAS and counter-UAS operations to the next level,” said the senator. “That’s why we worked to create this initiative through the 2024 FAA reauthorization bill and to set it up in North Dakota.”
Following this, Sen. Hoeven worked with former FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker to set up the program in North Dakota and grant the state’s test site access to the FAA’s radar data.
Since first announcing the agreement between the FAA and the test site at the 2024 UAS Summit, Sen. Hoeven has supported efforts by the FAA, the test site, and their partners to install the required technology and validate the system’s security with the relevant federal agencies.
“No other state offers this level of capabilities, and it would take years for this type of system to be implemented anywhere else,” Sen. Hoeven said.