Peace Garden News

Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, met with General Thomas Bussiere at Grand Forks Air Force Base and GrandSKY. General Bussiere is currently Commander of Global Strike Command and has been nominated to serve as the next Air Force Vice Chief of Staff.

During the meeting, Hoeven discussed Project ULTRA and its potential to expand the military’s unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and counter-UAS capabilities. He emphasized that Project ULTRA can support various military activities and noted that it is scheduled to begin counter-UAS work this year. Hoeven has secured an additional $8 million for UAS and counter-UAS research in the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2026 funding legislation, making Project ULTRA eligible for these funds.

Hoeven also mentioned that he has drafted legislation authorizing the Air Force to conduct a pilot project using drones to resupply remote facilities supporting nuclear missiles, such as those in Minot. This proposal is included in the Senate’s FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

The senator discussed efforts to bring a future intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) mission to Grand Forks Air Force Base. He said he is working to ensure sufficient ISR capacity for warfighters globally by advancing both airborne and space-based missions as opportunities for expanding ISR operations at Grand Forks.

Additionally, Hoeven visited the B-1B Lancer bomber mission temporarily relocated from Ellsworth Air Force Base to Grand Forks. He spoke about possibly hosting a future B-1B mission from Dyess Air Force Base and highlighted ongoing investments in Grand Forks’ systems and infrastructure as reasons why the base could support such missions while updates are made at their home bases.

“Project ULTRA is an efficient, cost-effective method for realizing the potential benefits of UAS to a wide range of military operations, and we’re working to expand the innovative work being undertaken at GrandSKY,” said Hoeven. “Considering his nomination as Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, General Bussiere’s visit is a welcome opportunity to showcase the unique capabilities of Project ULTRA and our UAS ecosystem, while making the case for additional partnerships, like the proposal we’re advancing to use drones to supply our missile fields. At the same time, the UAS infrastructure and systems we’ve built up in the region would serve a future ISR mission well, and we continue to make the case for bringing such an operation to Grand Forks.”