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Bridger Photonics Takes Methane Detection Offshore with Drone-Based LiDAR

Bridger Photonics expands methane detection to the offshore By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill A company that has pioneered the use of LiDAR-based sensors mounted on fixed-wing aircraft to detect methane emissions emanating from oil and gas facilities on the ground has turned to the use of drones to achieve the same mission for offshore […]

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​Russia Confirms Use of Chinese Combat Laser in Action

One of Russia’s propaganda channels shared a video claiming to show “the first shots of a combat laser from a mobile air defense unit,” allegedly used by the so-called Kochevnik special forces unit. russians talk about “new threats” that “forced them to look for alternative methods of counteraction.” These methods include combat lasers designed to […]

$20M DIU “Project GI” Challenge to Test and Scale Next-Generation UAS Solutions Across Domains

Emerging threats from peer and near-peer uncrewed systems (UxS) have reshaped the character of war, necessitating the development of new solutions at a faster pace. Warfighters require UxS systems today to meet urgent operational needs. The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is using a new and agile process to evaluate new technologies, involve warfighters early in […]

Saildrone and Meta Complete First Autonomous Deep-Ocean Cable Route Survey

Saildrone Surveyor maps 4,500 km of seabed, marking a major shift in ocean survey capabilities In a landmark achievement for maritime technology, Saildrone and Meta have successfully completed a first-of-its-kind deep-water cable route survey using an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV). The 26-day mission took place in the North Atlantic during June and July 2024, using […]

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Draganfly Delivers Modular Flex FPV Drone Systems to Major U.S. Defense Contractor

North American-built system supports flexible military operations with high speed, payload versatility, and mission adaptability Draganfly’s Flex FPV System Begins Deployment with Major U.S. Prime Contractor Draganfly Inc. has announced the first delivery of its Flex FPV (First Person View) drone systems to a major U.S. military prime contractor. The delivery supports land systems operations […]

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Texas A&M’s RELLIS Campus Drives the Future of Autonomous Systems

Texas A&M RELLIS Campus provides venue for cutting-edge drone research By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill In the future instead of toiling in the sun, farmers could be sitting in an comfortable office, coordinating fleets of robots, comprising UAVs and terrestrial vehicles, to autonomously perform tasks such as seeding fields and managing crops, thanks to […]

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10 years of Grand Sky: inside the drone park that put North Dakota on the UAS map

In 2025, Part 108 and flights beyond visual line of sight are among the key talking points for the drone industry. Over at Grand Sky in North Dakota, they are happening.

Grand Sky, which is located on the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, claims the title of the country’s first commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) park. And this year marks a decade since its founding.

Grand Sky has played a pivotal role in the drone industry for a few reasons, but one of the key reasons could have huge impacts for the year ahead.

“I would consider Grand Sky’s most pivotal achievement over the past 10 years to be the development and acceptance of our ground-based sense and avoid system (GBSAA) that allows BVLOS operations from Grand Sky,” said Thomas Swoyer,  founder and president of Grand Sky in an interview with The Drone Girl. “We all know that BVLOS operations will be a single catalyst that will set the UAS industry loose. Grand Sky has been operating a GBSAA for BVLOS operations since 2018, and it’s the single asset that totally differentiates us from other sites.”

A history of Grand Sky

(Photo courtesy of Grand Sky)

Grand Sky’s success traces back to 2015, when it entered into a landmark Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) with the U.S. Air Force and Grand Forks County — the deal that made the whole project possible.

“The Air Force was suspicious that this development would work and wanted the County in the middle because they were worried we would go bankrupt in the process of developing Grand Sky,” Swoyer said. “If Grand Forks County didn’t share our vision for what Grand Sky could be, none of this would happen.”

Swoyer went on to say that it’s the Joint Use Agreement (JUA) — a separate agreement struck with the Air Force — that truly unlocked the skies. “The JUA allows us to fly crewed and uncrewed aircraft using the Air Force Base runway and tower support. That’s the game changer,” he said. “It also gives us access to the raw radar feed from the base, which we use as the core sensor for our GBSAA.”

With that infrastructure in place, major players followed. Northrop Grumman signed on as Grand Sky’s first commercial tenant, followed by General Atomics. NASA, AFRL, and the Department of Defense soon joined the fold. Over the last decade, Grand Sky has catalyzed more than $169 million in private sector investment, generated $2.6 million annually in state and local taxes and created 269 full-time jobs with an average salary of $118,000.

What’s next? Project Ultra

(Photo courtesy of Grand Sky)

What’s next for Grand Sky? All eyes are on Project ULTRA, an initiative to revolutionize air traffic management by tackling real-world problems like drone cargo delivery — without relying on temporary flight restrictions or restricted airspace.

“Our first real-world scenario is logistics … cargo … operations,” Swoyer said. “We’re demonstrating how we can use a Group 3 UAS to carry cargo from Grand Sky to Cavalier Space Force Station, a 50-55 mile one-way trip. Success for us is the ability to do that round trip 10 times, safely and repeatedly.”

Replicability is key, he said.

“It’s not enough to do something once, we need to do it over and over, safely and efficiently.”

Swoyer also pointed to a new capability called ASIS. It’s short for Airspace Systems Integration Services, and it will allow multiple traffic management systems to interconnect regardless of who makes them.

“That way, an AAM company using system X for traffic management can safely integrate with another AAM provider or the military using system Y,” he said. “We see a future where there are hundreds of UAS in the air simultaneously, with multiple operators overseeing dozens of drones by themselves. We need to know what each of those drones are doing or intend to do and why.”

Public-private partnerships across the state

(Photo courtesy of Grand Sky)

Swoyer says his state’s success is part of a larger effort including a highly coordinated web of public-private partnerships.

“Our most critical partnership is with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site to help with the airworthiness, BVLOS, etc,” he said. “They bring their considerable regulatory experience and make it look easy.”

He also said the state’s business-friendly policies and aligned support from Grand Forks County to the governor’s office have laid the groundwork for UAS success.

“If you need flight operations support from pilots to waivers, we have you covered. If you need opportunities with major defense contractors, they are here. If you need help with your startup, come to The Hive,” Swoyer said, referencing the local business incubator. “We have so many great organizations that can deliver real value to any UAS operation.”

Long flights, longer vision: what’s next for Grand Sky

(Photo courtesy of Grand Sky)

In 2018, a Grand Sky-facilitated drone flew across the Atlantic, showing what’s possible in long-endurance flight. Today, long-distance ops are routine.

“Our customers with Northrop and General Atomics conduct most of those flights based on their customer needs,” said Swoyer. “With new DoD customers like TRMC’s SkyRange, they will be flying MQ-9 and RQ-4 aircraft around the world from Grand Sky.”

The park is now building a prototype operations center to support 24/7 missions — and preparing for a future that includes gym access, food service and potentially on-site lodging.

“Even in civilian endurance flights, there is a company that believes their aircraft can support 90+ hour flights,” he said. “That sounds awesome, but it means a team on site for 90 hours. They need to eat, sleep, etc. Long-endurance flights will change the face of Grand Sky.”

As Grand Sky looks to the next 10 years, Swoyer sees opportunities in commercial ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), logistics for remote campuses, and replicating the Grand Sky model across other U.S. communities.

“We don’t want to own all the solutions or all the employees at Grand Sky,” he said. “We think more companies win if we create opportunities where everyone is successful.”

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UK/Latvia Led Drone Coalition Allocates $3BN to Support Ukraine – Turkey and Belgium to Join

On Wednesday, May 28, during the Drone Summit, Minister of Defence of Republic of Latvia Andris Sprūds announced that Turkey and Belgium have expressed their intention to join the international Drone Coalition led by Latvia and the United Kingdom in support of Ukraine. Coalition member states have also committed to allocating €2.75 billion (USD 3.1BN) […]

Operation Spiderweb: Analysis of Ukraine’s Deep-Strike Drone Offensive

The success of OPERATION SPIDERWEB highly likely indicates a porous Russian front line and also that Ukraine has integrated basic artificial intelligence (AI) targeting metrics into autonomous UAS platforms, enhancing precision and responsiveness. Ukrainian swarm capabilities are likely limited to light Class I systems. These are optimised for striking vulnerable and lightly protected assets such […]

Alpha Unmanned Systems and Airbus Helicopters España Partner to Advance Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming

New agreement focuses on integrating unmanned helicopters into next-generation defense and security operations Alpha Unmanned Systems and Airbus Helicopters España have signed a formal collaboration agreement to develop joint operations between manned and unmanned helicopters. The partnership builds on successful military exercises and marks a new step in integrating tactical UAVs into defense missions. The […]

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