Central ND News

Senator John Hoeven announced that the Department of Defense (DoD) has tasked Project ULTRA, a new unmanned aerial systems (UAS) initiative established and funded by the senator, with developing the capability to deliver military cargo using UAS. As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, Hoeven passed legislation for Fiscal Years (FY) 2023 and 2024 to establish and fund the program and has been working to accelerate practical UAS applications for the military.

“We established Project ULTRA to accelerate the military’s ability to use UAS on an everyday basis,” Hoeven said. “North Dakota’s expertise in bringing UAS into the national airspace will help us demonstrate how the military can take advantage of UAS technology. It begins with moving supplies between North Dakota bases, with more to come using funding we’ve provided in FY2024 and that we will continue to advance in future appropriations legislation.”

The goal of Project ULTRA is to transition from research to practice and demonstrate various UAS applications that will benefit Grand Forks Air Force Base while also providing a template for UAS activities at installations across the country. This includes developing practical UAS applications like supply delivery, base inspections, and installation security.

Project ULTRA received an open contract valued at up to $18.25 million and can continue to receive funding in subsequent years.