Team maintains the temperature and integrity of 18 units across 90 nautical miles
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota—The Project ULTRA team successfully transported 18 units of blood 90 nautical miles in a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) demonstration for the Department of the Navy’s Medical Research Division and members of the 319th Medical Corps.
The “blood flights” follow the team’s successful completion of a task order from the Department of Defense (DoD) regarding the integration of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) in controlled airspace. It was an “aspirational goal to prove our capabilities,” Project ULTRA Director, retired Navy Cmdr. Chris Hewlett said. “The Navy team has done this, but never BVLOS.”
Project ULTRA, which stands for UAS Logistics, Traffic, Response and Autonomy. The team, led by Grand Forks County and GrandSKY, includes the Northern Plains UAS Test Site.
“I feel good that we were able to do this,” Hewlett said. “The medical community in both the Air Force and Navy has been looking at drones for tactical blood resupply. The success of these flights is a big deal.”
Ensuring that the blood—which weighed more than 25 pounds—maintained the appropriate temperature after two hours in the air was the initial goal, according to Hewlett. The 319th Air Wing’s Medical Unit has the blood and is conducting post-flight analysis that will be instrumental in moving forward with this critically needed logistics mission.
“What we have been able to demonstrate is capacity and capability,” he said. “The next step will be sustainment and scalability. This is truly groundbreaking for the Department of Defense.”
Project ULTRA is an initiative under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD A&S). Its purpose is to integrate UAS technology, in part, to support the U.S. military’s rapid and secure transportation needs.
“The Project ULTRA Team is excited that we could complete our 10 logistics flights and separately conduct these blood flights,” GrandSKY President Thomas Swoyer Jr. said. “We hope to engage in more medical-related flights so we can demonstrate the effectiveness of UAS for critical deliveries. This is just a first step.”
About GrandSKY
GrandSKY is a UAS-focused flight operations center on Grand Forks AFB in Grand Forks County, North Dakota. The 217-acre flight center provides Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) tenants and partners with unmatched research, development, training, and testing amenities. GrandSKY leverages access to the Air Force runway and tower support with commercial amenities and investment through a unique public-private partnership supporting civilian and military UAS flight operations. GrandSKY has been offering industry-leading amenities such as over 11,000 square miles of BVLOS capability and 24/7 operations. For more information, visit grandskynd.com.