Matthew Nelson
North Dakota has selected L3Harris Technologies, Raytheon Technologies' Collins Aerospace business and the U.S. subsidiary of Thales to develop, implement and manage an aviation-grade network for unmanned aerial systems that are designed to fly beyond visual line-of-sight.
As system integrators, all three companies will collaborate with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site to support public and commercial UAS BVLOS flights within the state's airspace, the state government said Tuesday.
The alliance will also drive certification applications with the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration for the planned statewide network and support the integration of drones into the National Airspace System.
The state earmarked $28M for the network construction project and issued an initial task order for the companies to plan system development and implementation processes.
