Peace Garden News

The Department of Defense has finalized an agreement to increase the contract ceiling for Project ULTRA from $18 million to $100 million, according to Senator John Hoeven. The announcement follows a previous agreement in principle that was made public last month during an event marking the start of weekly unmanned aerial systems (UAS) cargo flights between two military bases.

Project ULTRA receives its funding through annual defense appropriations legislation, which is drafted with input from members of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, including Hoeven.

“We appreciate DoD finalizing this agreement to raise Project ULTRA’s contract ceiling to $100 million,” said Hoeven. “This is a testament to the one-of-a-kind ecosystem we’ve built in our state over the last two decades that connects private sector partners with the military to develop drone technologies and capabilities needed to overcome challenges facing our military at home and abroad. This higher contract ceiling further solidifies North Dakota’s leadership in UAS and counter-UAS technology development.”

With the increased funding, all branches of the military will have greater opportunities to collaborate with private sector experts through Project ULTRA. The Department of Defense expects this move will allow for faster and more cost-effective development of necessary capabilities, such as counter-drone technology.