General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has opened an additional hangar at the Grand Sky Unmanned Aircraft System Business Park in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
The facility will be part of the company’s training center to upskill international aircrews in operating various drones.
In addition, the hangar will be used for aircraft maintenance and house two operational Ground Control Stations. It will have extra space to integrate more control platforms in the future.
“The new hangar represents our ongoing investment in test and training capabilities that provide our customers with a world-class facility to train aircrews in the operation of our aircraft,” GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue stated.
GA-ASI currently offers a wide array of unmanned aerial systems for military use, such as the MQ-1 Predator, MQ-1C Gray Eagle, MQ-9 Reaper, MQ-20 Avenger, and the MQ-9B SkyGuardian and its SeaGuardian variants.
In July, the firm’s drone products achieved more than eight million flight hours in global security deployments.
Expanding North Dakota Drone Industry
US Senator John Hoeven, who was also at the launch, said that the new hangar further enhances cooperation between General Atomics and the state of North Dakota.
“It’s only fitting that General Atomics, the premier private sector trainer of unmanned aircraft pilots, is dedicating this new facility here in Grand Forks, home of the premier school of aviation in the world,” Hoeven said.
“We welcome this new investment and the ongoing partnerships that are helping North Dakota lead the way in unmanned aircraft operations.”
“General Atomics is a proven leader in unmanned aerial systems and a vital partner in North Dakota as we expand our UAS expertise. Continued investment from General Atomics in Grand Forks illustrates the success of the UAS ecosystem North Dakota has created.”