Undertaking ULTRA to Revolutionize DoD Logistics and Visitors Administration with Superior UAS Expertise
by DRONELIFE Employees Author Ian J. McNabb
Grand Forks County, situated in japanese North Dakota, not too long ago introduced a brand new strategic partnership with GrandSKY, a neighborhood UAV-specific enterprise improvement space situated at Grand Forks Air Pressure Base. Known as Undertaking ULTRA, (UAS Logistics, Visitors, Analysis, and Autonomy), the brand new partnership goals to enhance the UAS capabilities of the Division of Protection (DOD). These efforts are supported by Senator John Hoeven and aligned with the strategic targets of the Workplace of the Below Secretary of Protection for Acquisition & Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)).
Involving federal and personal entities together with NASA, the Air Pressure Analysis Laboratory, and MITRE, Undertaking ULTRA goals to make use of UAS expertise to revolutionize logistics and visitors administration throughout the Nationwide Airspace System.
“We are very pleased for Grand Forks County to be a part of Project ULTRA,” mentioned David Engen, Chairman, Grand Forks County Fee. “This contract builds on the investments the County has made in GrandSKY and reflects the vested interest the County has in base retention and supporting the men and women who work and serve at Grand Forks AFB. We are also pleased that the County can provide this service and support the team that will execute on this work.”
In accordance with the press launch, the undertaking, contracted by Washington Headquarters Providers, is structured underneath a 5-year Indefinite Supply/Indefinite Amount (ID/IQ) contract with a most ceiling of $18.25 million. Process orders will likely be issued to outline particular initiatives and funding particulars, with Process Order 01 valued at $2,480,281, set to begin on/about Could 29, 2024, and conclude by September 30, 2024.
Key Goals of Undertaking ULTRA:
- Improve airspace situational consciousness and visitors administration throughout the NAS by means of testing and analysis of UTM and different visitors administration programs.
- Develop dependable, replicable, and scalable logistical and provide supply programs to distant army places.
- Make the most of Past Visible-Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) capabilities to create scalable service fashions for numerous DoD installations.
- Combine Small UAS (sUAS) capabilities to enhance the standard of life for army personnel and their households.
- Develop sustainable and scalable Counter UAS (cUAS) applied sciences to boost bodily safety measures at army amenities and to combine cUAS applied sciences with visitors administration.
The undertaking goals to make the most of North Dakota’s well-developed UAS infrastructure and align the pursuits of a number of organizations to realize their operational targets. The Northern Plains UAS Check Website (NPUASTS), a pacesetter in autonomous expertise options, will present crucial assist in flight route modeling, UAS choice, and FAA coordination.
“On behalf of GrandSKY, we are grateful for this opportunity and looking forward to working with a very capable team,” mentioned Tom Swoyer, President, GrandSKY. “We appreciate Grand Forks County stepping up and supporting this effort and we will build on our already very strong partnership with the Northern Plains Test Site. We look forward to leveraging our current capabilities to accelerate the development of UAS-based delivery solutions, counter-UAS, and ultimately integrating it all with state-of-the-art UAS traffic management.”
“We are excited to work with our partners on Project ULTRA to operationalize these critical missions for the Department of Defense,” mentioned Trevor Woods, Govt Director, Northern Plains UAS Check Website. “Our work will lead to important improvements in logistics and traffic management, and with our team’s prior experience enabling Beyond Visual-Line-of-Sight (BVLOS), we are continuing to accelerate capabilities for industry and defense.”
Extra data on the GrandSky undertaking is obtainable right here.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, knowledgeable drone providers market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone business and the regulatory atmosphere for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles targeted on the business drone house and is a global speaker and acknowledged determine within the business. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising and marketing for brand spanking new applied sciences.
For drone business consulting or writing, E-mail Miriam.
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