{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/news/news-releases/hoeven-grand-forks-taking-two-major-steps-forward-in-counter-uas-leadership", "Hoeven: Grand Forks Taking Two Major Steps Forward in Counter-UAS Leadership", "2025-10-13", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "ND", "John Hoeven", "H001061", "www.hoeven.senate.gov", "hoeven", "https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Hoeven: Grand Forks Taking Two Major Steps Forward in Counter-UAS Leadership\n\nSenator Worked to Secure Grand Forks\u2019 Selection for Air Force Battle Lab, Bring AV Halo Counter-UAS System to GrandSKY\n\nGRAND FORKS, N.D. \u2013 At a reception to kick off the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Summit today, Senator John Hoeven announced two major developments in counter-drone operations in the Grand Forks region:\n\nThe U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC) has selected Grand Forks Air Force Base as the home of the new Point Defense Battle Lab.\n\nHoeven worked with both General Kenneth Wilsbach, former ACC Commander and nominee to be Air Force Chief of Staff, and current ACC Commander General Adrian Spain to advance Grand Forks\u2019 selection.\n\nThe battle lab is a key part of the service\u2019s effort to develop and test advanced technologies to defend installations from small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) threats.\n\nThe initiative will work to rapidly test and validate technologies that can help defend specific locations against UAS threats, aligning closely with the work of Project ULTRA.\n\nThe specific details of the lab\u2019s operations will be developed in the coming months, and Hoeven will work with the ACC to best leverage the existing partnerships in the region.\n\nAeroVironment is bringing its counter-UAS system, AV Halo, to GrandSKY.\n\nEarlier this year, AeroVironment acquired BlueHalo, a company that Hoeven previously worked to partner with the Sky Range program and Grand Forks Air Force Base, having secured a total of nearly $16 million for those efforts.\n\nAeroVironment is now expanding its presence in the state with the installation of AV Halo, which includes the Titan radar system, providing 360-degree long range surveillance.\n\nAV Halo\u2019s command software uses data from the Titan radar to provide a mission-ready operating picture for counter-UAS detection and air domain awareness.\n\nAV Halo will be immediately positioned to support both Project ULTRA\u2019s counter-drone research and testing as well as that of the new ACC battle lab.\n\n\u201cOur efforts to bring both the Point Defense Battle Lab and AV Halo to the region truly add to the unique UAS ecosystem we\u2019ve built in Grand Forks, further securing our role as the premier location for unmanned aviation, including drone and counter-drone research and testing. Importantly, these two announcements work in tandem. The Air Force needs help to address UAS threats, particularly those to our domestic bases, while companies like AeroVironment have the technical solutions the Air Force needs,\u201d said Hoeven. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen in Israel and Ukraine how drones are being used to wage war in new and dangerous ways. Between Project ULTRA at GrandSKY, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site and the Grand Forks Air Force Base, the capabilities and partnerships we\u2019ve built in this region will enable our nation to tackle this emerging threat.\u201d\n\n-###-\n\nNext Article Previous Article", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/news/news-releases/hoeven-grand-forks-taking-two-major-steps-forward-in-counter-uas-leadership"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.492575742304325, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}