U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford today announced two new test sites for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The sites, which will be located in The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and Indiana Economic Development Corporation, are the first new UAS testing grounds in nearly a decade.
The UAS Test Site program supports development, testing, and evaluation of public and civil unmanned aircraft and related technologies and helps advance the safe integration of drones into the National Airspace System. In August, Secretary Duffy unveiled a new proposed Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) rule to significantly expand the use-case for drone technologies.
“From delivering lifesaving medicine to surveying pipelines, drones are already reshaping industries and changing how people and products interact. It’s our job to make sure the United States safely leads the way with this exciting technology – not China,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “We’ve added these new test sites to help us gather critical data and test new systems so we can safely unleash innovation in our skies.”
“These test sites help the U.S. assess emerging technologies to modernize methods for cargo delivery, Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations and multiple drone operations while informing safety and security,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “Together, we will usher in the safe commercialization of drone technologies and fully integrate UAS into our NAS.”
This announcement delivers on President Trump’s Executive Order “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” to enhance United States productivity, create high-skilled jobs, and reshape the future of aviation.
“The Trump Administration is ensuring Indian country doesn’t get left behind in its efforts to bring in the Golden Age of Transportation. These new technologies can save lives on reservations with useful practices including the transportation of medical supplies to far reaching corners of these tribal lands. Under President Trump and Secretary Duffy, USDOT is redefining how transportation shapes the daily lives of Americans,” said Assistant Secretary of Tribal Government Affairs James A. Crawford.
Additional Information
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and Indiana Economic Development Corporation test sites will become the eighth and ninth test sites in the U.S. The first seven UAS Test Site locations include:
- Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration, AK
- Northern Plains UAS Test Site, ND
- New Mexico State University UAS Test Site, NM
- State of Nevada UAS Test Site, NV
- New York UAS Test Site, NY
- Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Autonomy Research Institute, TX
- Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, VA
The FAA UAS Test Sites will support the development, testing, and scaling of American drone technologies, with a focus on Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, increasingly autonomous operations, advanced air mobility, and other advanced operations. The nine sites will facilitate the safe commercialization of drone technologies, advance the full integration of UAS into the NAS, and help reshape the future of aviation.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 authorizes the Administrator to designate up to two new UAS test ranges.
More information on the UAS Test Site Program and its research activities is available online.
