U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota announced on May 7 that Grand Forks Air Force Base has been chosen by the U.S. Department of War as one of four sites nationwide to participate in a new pilot program testing advanced Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems technologies.
The initiative is part of efforts to strengthen defenses against hostile drones at critical military facilities, with the pilot authorized in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The systems under evaluation include high-powered microwave and laser technologies designed to detect, disable, and destroy unmanned aircraft.
“After putting language in the National Defense Authorization Act to stand up four sites for employment of covered Counter-UAS systems, I am pleased, but I’m not even a little bit surprised, the Department of War has named Grand Forks Air Force Base as one of those four,” Cramer said. “I’ve been in regular discussions for the last couple of months with Brig. General Matt Ross, who heads up the Joint Interagency Task Force, stood up to work on this, as well as with Secretary Hegseth and General Caine. Late last week I closed the loop with General Wilsbach, the chief of staff of the Air Force, who realized that Grand Forks was a center of excellence for UAS offensive capabilities as well as having the potential to be a counter-UAS center of excellence. He and I talked about this a lot. It’s great ACC recognized that and made Grand Forks Air Force Base the Point Defense Battle Lab for ACC—and for all of the Air Force—but now they have the Department of War and JIATF 401 recognizing the same thing. It’s very rewarding.”
Cramer also said: “This isn’t just about Grand Forks Air Force Base; it’s about the entire ecosystem,” adding that assets like Camp Grafton Army National Guard facility and partnerships with local communities contribute to North Dakota’s readiness for such programs.
Cramer assists North Dakotans with federal agencies to resolve issues and provide information; he serves on several Senate committees including Environment and Public Works, Veterans’ Affairs, and Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; he previously served three terms as North Dakota’s at-large representative in Congress; he grew up in Kindred; earned degrees from Concordia College and University of Mary; together with his wife Kris raised five children—all according to the official website.
The selection marks another step forward for North Dakota’s role in national defense technology development related to unmanned aerial systems.
