Since it was formed, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS) has been a critical partner in Project ULTRA, a multi-entity collaboration that is bolstering the Department of Defense’s (DoD) capabilities within the National Airspace System (NAS). Just months after the public announcement, the NPUASTS has surpassed significant milestones toward accomplishing the announced goals of Project Unmanned Logistics, Traffic, Research and Autonomy (ULTRA), and is planning and implementing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) flights to support it.
One major development in Project ULTRA is the use of UAS, or drones, for military cargo transport, with demonstration flights continuing from the May announcement through 2025. Flights carrying payloads of at least 55 pounds will travel more than 60 miles from Grand Forks Air Force Base to Cavalier Space Force Station and back.
“We have already led the world in developing drone and counter drone technologies here in North Dakota,” said Senator John Hoeven. “Project ULTRA is the next step, working with private enterprise and leveraging the expertise of our available resources and infrastructure, such as the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, to further our armed services’ missions and readiness.”
The experience and leadership that NPUASTS has in UAS was also a primary reason that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently announced a formal agreement for the Test Site to use federal radar data to advance beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) UAS operations into the NAS. The NPUASTS is the first participant in the FAA Radar Data Pathfinder program.
In the Project ULTRA collaboration, the NPUASTS is the primary execution arm of the initiative, leveraging the extensive flight testing and research capabilities, that will create better operational efficiency of our country’s armed forces. The project, with the support of Sen. Hoeven, brings together Grand Forks County, GrandSKY, NASA, AFRL, MITRE and other industry leaders in a multi-year effort to secure the nation’s defense.
A task order, issued by the DoD, allocates further resources to facilitate the cargo flights through civilian airspace. The NPUASTS coordinates waivers with the FAA, and provides flight planning and mission profiles.
“The flights are a proof of concept for UAS applications,” said Chris Hewlett, Director at GrandSKY. “Project ULTRA demonstrates the valuable nature of having the region’s unique UAS ecosystem in place.”
The NPUASTS has been leading other defense, commerce and safety initiatives within UAS this year, many of which feed into the key objectives of Project ULTRA, including:
- Assessing how traditional aviation surveillance systems can help expand UAS access, using the FAA Radar Data Pilot Program.
- Helping the State of North Dakota collaborate with Korea Research Association for Unmanned Vehicles (KRAUV), and promoting UAS research and development with a key ally and economic partner.
- Successfully conducting test flights of the Kratos Valkyrie UAS and its Trolley Launch System, using the Test Site’s FAA certificate of authorization (COA).
- Helping the Grand Forks Fire Department obtaining a Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight (TBVLOS) waiver, allowing greater emergency response capabilities in extreme situations.
- Having Vantis, powered by the NPUASTS, be accepted by the FAA as the safety mitigation for recurring BVLOS operations, essentially allowing supported repeatable and scalable UAS operations.
Project ULTRA aims to enhance airspace situational awareness and traffic management within the NAS; develop reliable logistical and supply delivery to remote military locations; utilize BVLOS capabilities as service models for DoD installations; integrate Small UAS capabilities to improve quality of life for military personnel and families; and develop Counter UAS technologies to enhance physical security measures at military facilities.
“Through Project ULTRA, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site is helping raise the Department of Defense’s operational capabilities significantly,” said Trevor Woods, Executive Director of NPUASTS. “We are supporting our nation’s defense and pushing the boundaries of unmanned aircraft systems.”