Inside Unmanned Systems provides actionable business intelligence to decision-makers and influencers operating within the global UAS community. Features include analysis of key technologies, policy/regulatory developments and new product design.
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FAA test sites 30 unmanned systems inside Spring 2014 With the air force, u.s. customs and the national Guard each flying unmanned aircraft from bases in North Dakota, the state became a hub of unmanned flight activity long before the FAA tapped it for help in integrating unmanned aircraft into the nation's skies. Though the Peace Garden State has been deeply involved in aviation since the University of North Dakota (UND) established the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences (UND Aerospace) in the 1960s, it was the 2005 round of military base realignments that brought the Predator, Global Hawk and Raven to Grand Forks Air Force Base and to the Air National Guard garrison about 75 miles south in Fargo. "I think we're the only place in the United States, perhaps the world, to have all three of the U.S. Air Force's major (unmanned) platforms flying in the same place," said Robert Becklund, director of the Northern Plains Unmanned Air- craft System (UAS) Test Site. The Border Patrol, which is part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, flies the Reaper out of North Dakota to help monitor the Canadian border. About the time military aircraft started arriving in the state, said Becklund, UND began building its research capabilities for unmanned systems and launched the nation's first undergraduate degree program in unmanned aircraft. Research at UND includes work on sense-and-avoid technologies, radiation-hardened and fault tolerant electronics as well as imaging sensors. In a project funded by the Air Force, university scientists are developing a ground-based radar system capable of detect- ing low observable aircraft such as sailplanes and hot-air balloons to give UAS operators the most comprehensive picture of their airspace. North Dakota State University, located in Fargo, has a "world-class" engineering depart- ment, said Becklund, and particular expertise in electronic and electrical engineering and spe- North Dakota 1 the team The state's lieutenant governor chairs the Northern Plains Unmanned Systems Authority, which manages the state's test range effort. The University of North Dakota is the leading research member of the group, which also includes North Dakota State University, the Offce of the Adjutant General, North Dakota Aeronautics commission and the North Dakota Department of commerce. University of North Dakota communications and electronics University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University. RESEARcH cENTERS 2