By: Dawn Zoldi
When it comes to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), North Dakota continues getting bigger and better every day, both in ambition and achievement. On the flight deck, leading this ascent, stand two visionary leaders: U.S. Senator John Hoeven and Tom Swoyer, President of GrandSKY. Their relentless advocacy and leadership have propelled North Dakota from a regional player into a national powerhouse in both defense and commercial drone innovation. The North Dakota story provides lessons learned for any government, defense or commercial entity involved with UAS that seeks to likewise soar.
Building the Foundations: Meet the Champions
Senator John Hoeven’s roots in elevating North Dakota’s technological edge run deep. Serving first as governor from 2000 to 2010 and then as U.S. senator since 2010, Hoeven has made his mark as a staunch advocate for policies that bolster the state’s economic engines—energy, agriculture and especially UAS. The Senator’s long-standing commitment to national security and UAS development stems back to 2005 when, as state governor, he began working closely with the military on drone and counter-drone technology initiatives and forging partnerships that would put North Dakota at the forefront of unmanned systems innovation. “I’ve worked on a lot of different things with the military, but for us, the drone and counter-drone technology is front and center,” he said.
If Senator Hoeven is the visionary at the policy level, Tom Swoyer has been a key architect on the ground. For a decade, Swoyer has driven GrandSKY’s development at Grand Forks Air Force Base. He has not just built significant UAS infrastructure there. He’s attracted world-class companies and pushed the boundaries of what’s possible for UAS beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights. “It’s been quite a journey building the amenities and attracting companies that want to find a better way, a faster way, cheaper way to fly UAS, demonstrate their capabilities and to develop their aircraft. And so that’s fundamentally what my job is: to bring all the companies, the marketing, the finance, the facilities all together in one place so that UAS companies can grow,” Swoyer explained.
Project ULTRA: A New Origin Story for UAS
The energy and synergy between industry, government and defense in North Dakota gave birth to Project ULTRA—UAS Logistics, Traffic, Response and Autonomy. Its origin traces back to a simple demand for resilient logistics and rapid deployment, especially as the Department of Defense (DoD) shifted its gaze to next-generation logistics and counter-UAS needs.
Senator Hoeven recognized that DoD needed to accelerate its use of UAS for very practical purposes, such as cargo delivery. He started aligning funding for this purpose in Fiscal Year 2023 through his role on the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee and spearheaded efforts to complete the initial Project ULTRA contract and get UAS in the air.
Swoyer recounted, “Project ULTRA started because there was a military requirement… basically saying, ‘How do I move stuff, point to point, autonomously, without endangering any of my people in denied environments?’ That became the seed. We rolled up GrandSKY’s strengths, our airspace, our test infrastructure and this incredible partnership with the Air Force to create an ecosystem where ULTRA could really grow.”
ULTRA’s DNA is unmistakably North Dakotan: deeply collaborative, focused on next generation technology and rooted in a tradition of leveraging unique assets for the greater good. For example, Grand Forks Air Force Base provides over 11,000 square miles of BVLOS airspace, advanced radar and a gateway to Air Force resources for the project.
July’s Flight Demos: Proof of Progress
The momentum behind ULTRA turned heads in July with a high-profile series of flight demos at GrandSKY. These constituted the first operational logistics flights for Project ULTRA and real proof that North Dakota could execute on promises made.
“We had Skyways aircraft flying back and forth between Grand Forks Air Force Base and Cavalier Space Station,” Swoyer recalled. “These were not just tests. They were operational, carrying real payloads between installations and demonstrating logistics routes in real-world conditions.”
The audience for these flights included leading defense officials, policy makers and potential commercial partners, who all witnessed firsthand the safety, efficiency and scalability of unmanned logistics for the DoD, flying BVLOS in the U.S. national airspace system (NAS), without “chase planes.”
The significance? Hoeven stated, “This is about moving toward real delivery, at scale, in a fraction of the time and with a fraction of the cost. The demo really showcased that North Dakota is leading the way. Our infrastructure, our people, our partnerships are built for success at this level.”
Supersizing with $100 Million: A Federal Endorsement
ULTRA’s trajectory went into overdrive with Senator Hoeven’s July announcement of an increased federal funding ceiling for Project ULTRA, from $18 million to $100 million. This historic allocation recognized the value of the current accomplishments as well as the potential for exponential industry growth.
“Securing this kind of commitment is huge,” Hoeven emphasized. “It gives GrandSKY and North Dakota a runway to attract even larger partnerships, grow the base and create jobs. It really locks in this state’s leadership in the UAS space for years to come.”
For GrandSKY, the funding means an expanded scope: more aircraft, greater infrastructure investment and faster scaling of real-world unmanned logistics.
For North Dakota, it’s a signal to the world that the state is open for business, armed with both the federal support and technical prowess to cement its place as America’s drone capital.
Up Next: Weekly Flights and Counter-UAS Horizons
The future of Project ULTRA isn’t some distant vision. Swoyer outlined immediate milestones. “We’re starting weekly flights in September, moving cargo on set routes. Each task order gets more complex—longer distances, tougher payloads and more demanding mission profiles.” The goal is clear: transition unmanned logistics from demonstration to a dependable, every-week reality.
But ULTRA’s next act is just as bold. Both Hoeven and Swoyer are passionate about advancing counter-UAS capabilities to ensure that America’s logistics systems are not only efficient but also secure from adversarial threats. As federal and industry investment pours in, more partnerships will further prime the pump to make North Dakota a proving ground for integrated defense solutions. Swoyer indicated 2026 ULTRA task orders will include testing and real-world deployment of counter-drone technologies.
North Dakota’s Bigger and Better Ecosystem: How to Engage
Few states can match North Dakota’s confluence of vision, infrastructure and leadership in unmanned systems. With Project ULTRA, a $100 million vote of confidence, and relentless advocates like Senator Hoeven and Tom Swoyer, the state continues to set the pace for the future of the U.S. drone industry.
For now, Swoyer and his team seek more partners to join the GrandSKY and Project ULTRA ecosystem. He emphasized that prospective partner companies must have either a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) award in hand to participate, such as Skyways drones, who had a Navy award in hand. This approach ensures that new entrants check the required box for advanced technical readiness levels (TRL), which translates into the immediate ability to deliver value in advanced UAS operations.
For those eager to learn more, October brings the annual UAS Summit and Expo to North Dakota. This marquee event draws thought leaders from across military, industry and academia to state to help chart the future of unmanned systems. Attendees can expect direct engagement with GrandSKY, live updates on Project ULTRA, and opportunities to meet the leaders behind North Dakota’s drone surge, including Senator Hoeven.
Whether you’re innovating, investing or just dreaming big, North Dakota seems to be where the future of flight is really taking off.
To learn more, watch Senator Hoeven and Tom Swoyer on the Dawn of Autonomy podcast.To connect with Senator Hoeven’s office or GrandSKY President Thomas Swoyer, visit the Senator’s and GrandSKY websites.