Indiana Launches Midwest UAS Test Site, One of Nine FAA-Designated Drone Test Sites in the United States
Terre Haute, in Vigo County, Indiana, became home to a new drone test site on October 29. Indiana Governor Mike Braun launched the Midwest UAS Test Site of Indiana in the city, creating a regional resource for companies, defense organizations, public-safety agencies and researchers developing the next generation of drones and autonomous aviation technologies.
The Midwest UAS Test Site is one of nine uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) test sites designated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It operates as a network of testing locations, airspace and technical partners, while the FAA designation provides a framework for coordinating research, flight testing and experimentation, and certification flights. With its launch, the initiative is now accepting members and supporting flight-test operations, open to industry from startups and component suppliers to established aerospace and defense companies.
“Indiana's defense sector is taking off like never before as we continue to attract new assets and installations, accelerate innovation, and support industry investment,” said Governor Mike Braun at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, adding that the site positions Indiana as a defense and national security leader. U.S. Senator Todd Young, who also delivered keynote remarks, said America cannot afford to fall behind its adversaries in unmanned systems and that the test site helps ensure the next generation of drones and counter-drone technology is designed, tested and built in the United States. Indiana Secretary of Commerce Chuck Goodrich said connecting FAA-designated test-site capabilities with the most manufacturing-intensive economy in the country creates a direct path from testing to production.
The initiative is led by the Applied Research Institute (ARI) and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), supported by partners including Purdue University, Pierce Aerospace, Windracers, the Indiana National Guard and Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane. Terre Haute Regional Airport serves as one operational hub for a mission that reaches across the Midwest and Great Lakes region, and other hubs will be announced in coming months.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国陆军无人机测试演习中的小型无人机（资料图）。照片：Spc. Jennifer Posy，美国陆军、公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Small drones during a U.S. Army drone-testing exercise (file photo). Photo by Spc. Jennifer Posy, U.S. Army, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
