Central ND News

Senator John Hoeven announced that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) will conduct unmanned aerial system (UAS) tests at Grand Sky in September, working with Project ULTRA, which is based at the Grand Sky facility in North Dakota. The tests will use the resources and expertise available at Grand Sky to explore military applications for mid-sized unmanned aircraft.

The partnership between CENTCOM and Project ULTRA is made possible through an open contract with the Department of Defense valued at up to $100 million. Senator Hoeven played a role in establishing this contract.

“We set up Project ULTRA to deliver the benefits of UAS to our servicemembers at home and abroad, and this new partnership with CENTCOM shows how powerful Project ULTRA can be,” Hoeven said. “We look forward to working closely with CENTCOM to provide our warfighters advanced UAS technology quickly and efficiently.”

During their time at Grand Sky, CENTCOM will focus on testing aircraft as part of its Early Vertical take-off and land Aircraft Demonstrator (EVADE) program. The aim is to evaluate how mid-sized vertical take-off and landing unmanned aircraft could be used by the military, including for cargo delivery flights. These types of missions are similar to those already being carried out by Project ULTRA between Grand Forks Air Force Base and Cavalier Space Force Station.

CENTCOM will use the existing Project ULTRA contract for these tests, as part of a task order that involves demonstrating different mission profiles, such as cargo delivery.