U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today spoke at the opening session of the 12th Annual Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Summit and Expo and helped host Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson to view the first civil beyond visual line of sight flight to be conducted from Grand Sky aviation park.
“Today’s exciting demonstration and summit reinforce that the UAS industry is on the cutting edge of aviation, defense, commerce, and so many other areas – and Grand Forks is at the center of this growing industry,” Heitkamp said. “It’s always a boost for North Dakota and our defense missions to host high-level military leaders, and today’s events gave Secretary Wilson a firsthand view of the innovation taking place at Grand Sky. UAS technology provides essential intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to combatant commanders across the globe, and I’ve long worked to support and boost resources for this critical national security mission. Today’s launch laid the groundwork for continuing Grand Forks’ leadership role and keeping looking for ways to promote our assets to stay on the cutting edge.”