U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) on Oct. 29 applauded an executive order issued by Indiana Gov. Mike Braun that aims to position the state as a leader in the federal government’s mission toward American drone dominance by creating a new drone-focused task force.
Braun developed the executive order in collaboration with Sen. Young, who serves as a member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee where he has been working on drone issues in Congress.
“Drones are increasingly critical to our economy and national security, and as a leading manufacturing state, Indiana is positioned to help unleash American drone dominance,” Sen. Young said. “Gov. Braun has been a great partner on this issue, and I look forward to continuing to work with the governor and Hoosier stakeholders to support the president’s executive order and empower the U.S. drone industry.”
Specifically, the state’s executive order establishes the Indiana Initiative for Drone Dominance Task Force, which will develop a strategic plan for how the state can utilize its attributes to lead the nation in this sector.
According to Sen. Young, some of these attributes include an advanced manufacturing industry, expertise from the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane Division (NSWC), restricted airspace over Camp Atterbury and the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, a strong policy framework, and universities with established programs to continue drone research and development.
“Indiana has always stepped up to use our skills and labor to support America’s defense,” said Braun. “Indiana’s advanced manufacturing capacity and our concentration of defense and research assets make us uniquely suited to lead in America’s pursuit of drone dominance, and this new task force will position Indiana as a national asset and drive innovation in this important sector.”
The new task force will coordinate efforts across government, academia, and industry to develop a cross-sector aerial test corridor connecting sites such as Camp Atterbury, the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, and NSWC Crane.
It will also work to expand public safety applications of unmanned aircraft during major sporting and civic events, and strengthen Indiana’s drone manufacturing supply chain by encouraging growth among small and emerging firms.
Additionally, the task force will explore new infrastructure for detection, tracking, and neutralization of unauthorized drones, and support related workforce training programs and partnerships, among other efforts.