Project ULTRA to Revolutionize DoD Logistics and Traffic Management with Advanced UAS Technology
by DRONELIFE Staff Author Ian J. McNabb
Grand Forks County, positioned in eastern North Dakota, recently announced a brand new strategic partnership with GrandSKY, a neighborhood UAV-specific business development area positioned at Grand Forks Air Force Base. Called Project ULTRA, (UAS Logistics, Traffic, Research, and Autonomy), the brand new partnership goals to enhance the UAS capabilities of the Department of Defense (DOD). These efforts are supported by Senator John Hoeven and aligned with the strategic goals of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)).
Involving federal and personal entities including NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and MITRE, Project ULTRA goals to make use of UAS technology to revolutionize logistics and traffic management throughout the National Airspace System.
“We’re more than happy for Grand Forks County to be an element of Project ULTRA,” said David Engen, Chairman, Grand Forks County Commission. “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 lads and girls who work and serve at Grand Forks AFB. We’re also pleased that the County can provide this service and support the team that may execute on this work.”
Based on the press release, the project, contracted by Washington Headquarters Services, is structured under a 5-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract with a maximum ceiling of $18.25 million. Task orders might be issued to define specific projects and funding details, with Task Order 01 valued at $2,480,281, set to start on/about May 29, 2024, and conclude by September 30, 2024.
Key Objectives of Project ULTRA:
- Enhance airspace situational awareness and traffic management throughout the NAS through testing and evaluation of UTM and other traffic management systems.
- Develop reliable, replicable, and scalable logistical and provide delivery systems to distant military locations.
- Utilize Beyond Visual-Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) capabilities to create scalable service models for various DoD installations.
- Integrate Small UAS (sUAS) capabilities to enhance the standard of life for military personnel and their families.
- Develop sustainable and scalable Counter UAS (cUAS) technologies to reinforce physical security measures at military facilities and to integrate cUAS technologies with traffic management.
The project goals to utilize North Dakota’s well-developed UAS infrastructure and align the interests of multiple organizations to attain their operational goals. The Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS), a pacesetter in autonomous technology solutions, will provide critical support in flight route modeling, UAS selection, and FAA coordination.
“On behalf of GrandSKY, we’re grateful for this chance and looking out forward to working with a really capable team,” said Tom Swoyer, President, GrandSKY. “We appreciate Grand Forks County stepping up and supporting this effort and we are going to construct on our already very strong partnership with the Northern Plains Test Site. We stay up for leveraging our current capabilities to speed up the event of UAS-based delivery solutions, counter-UAS, and ultimately integrating all of it with state-of-the-art UAS traffic management.”
“We’re excited to work with our partners on Project ULTRA to operationalize these critical missions for the Department of Defense,” said Trevor Woods, Executive Director, Northern Plains UAS Test Site. “Our work will result in necessary improvements in logistics and traffic management, and with our team’s prior experience enabling Beyond Visual-Line-of-Sight (BVLOS), we’re continuing to speed up capabilities for industry and defense.”
More information on the GrandSky project is offered here.
Read more: