Central ND News

The Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Summit and Expo is currently underway in Grand Forks, North Dakota. This 18th annual event has drawn numerous leaders and policymakers from the UAS industry nationwide.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, participated in this year's summit alongside Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries. Anduril Industries is a defense technology company aiming to enhance military capabilities through advanced technology. Recently, the Pentagon awarded Anduril a $250 million contract to develop solutions against drone threats targeting U.S. forces.

During the summit, Senator Cramer received the UAS Sky Pioneer Award for his efforts in promoting UAS development and deployment both within North Dakota and across the United States.

Cramer remarked on Luckey's achievements: “What's inspirational about Palmer Luckey is not just his story of accomplishment, but how he got there,” said Cramer. “I just learned he still has the family farm in Minnesota, which explains a lot about his pioneering spirit. Palmer is also inspirational because he could have taken all of his brain power, all that talent, and charming personality and applied it to a lot of things that could make him wealthy. But he chose, as a patriotic American, to invest in national defense by rebooting our arsenal of democracy. I’m honored to attend this year’s summit with my friend, a true pioneer, Palmer Luckey.”

Palmer Luckey expressed his views on UAS technology: “Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are transforming modern conflict,” said Palmer Luckey. “Transforming the way we fight requires an approach to capability development and adoption that is more closely aligned with the commercial market than the traditional defense industrial base. I am honored to join Senator Cramer at this year’s UAS Summit and Expo, and enjoyed the opportunity to engage with UND faculty and students who continue to drive progress in this critical field.”

At the event, Cramer introduced Luckey for a fireside chat where they discussed how policymakers can facilitate private sector innovation while urging government entities to keep pace with business advancements.

Earlier this year, Anduril was selected by the United States Air Force as one of two vendors funded for further development in its Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone program. As part of his duties as Ranking Member of the Seapower Subcommittee, Cramer visited Anduril's headquarters in southern California where he explored their autonomous underwater vehicles and observed their high-performance autonomous air vehicle submission known as Fury.