05.16.25

Hoeven, Transportation Secretary Discuss North Dakota’s Role in Meeting the Nation’s Aviation Needs

Senator Invites Secretary Duffy to North Dakota to See Grand Sky, Learn about Counter-Drone Efforts Firsthand

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven this week discussed with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, North Dakota’s role in meeting key priorities to ensure safe and efficient air travel in the U.S. airspace. Hoeven outlined the work of the University of North Dakota (UND) and his efforts to leverage the school’s expertise in order to:

  • Help meet the nation’s need for air traffic controllers (ATC).
    • Hoeven worked with UND and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to secure the school’s role in the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program.
    • Under this initiative, UND graduates are immediately eligible for hire and to begin localized training at an air traffic facility, bypassing the FAA Academy in Oklahoma.
    • Now, Hoeven is sponsoring the ATC Workforce Development Act to strengthen the Enhanced AT-CTI program and further improve controller recruitment and retention.
    • Secretary Duffy agreed to work with Hoeven on expanding capacity for ATC training and expressed support for the bill.
  • Ensure the U.S. has enough qualified pilots to meet future demand.
    • Hoeven highlighted UND’s Vets2Wings program, which expands flight training for veterans and helps cover costs not included under the GI Bill or the Department of Defense’s Federal Tuition Assistance Program.
    • Hoeven initially secured $2.5 million to establish the program and then passed his American Aviator Act to authorize the program at the FAA through Fiscal Year (FY) 2028.
    • The senator stated that initiatives like this help address the need for commercial airline pilots and requested that the secretary work with him on making the program permanent.

In addition, Hoeven invited Secretary Duffy to visit North Dakota and learn firsthand about the state’s counter-drone efforts at Grand Sky and the Northern Plains Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Test Site. Hoeven stressed the need to finish linking the FAA’s unfiltered radar data feed with the test site to empower this work, which is needed to protect against the malicious use of UAS.

“North Dakota is home to the largest flight school in the country and plays a growing role in ATC training with the Enhanced AT-CTI Program at UND. Considering the challenges faced by our aviation industry, it is critical that we work to remove bottlenecks in training for air traffic controllers. That’s exactly what we’ve worked to do at UND, and our ATC Workforce Development Act will take these efforts even further,” said Hoeven. “Our state is also leading the way in developing counter-drone technologies, an increasingly important national security priority. The FAA’s radar data feed will enhance our test site’s ability to identify potentially threatening systems, a critical part of keeping the national airspace secure from dangerous UAS. I appreciate Secretary Duffy’s willingness to help complete the process of sharing the unfiltered radar data, as well as his agreement to visit North Dakota and learn more about the important work we’re doing at UND, Grand Sky and the test site.”

Advancing Counter-Drone Technologies

            Hoeven is working to realize new opportunities in the Grand Forks region for developing counter-drone technologies to protect against emerging threats resulting from the misuse of UAS. To this end, Hoeven continues his efforts to:

  • Increase the size and scope of Project ULTRA to support counter-UAS technology development.
    • By increasing the project’s contract ceiling, it can serve as a bridge between an existing DoD contracting vehicle and new counter-UAS capabilities being developed in the private sector.
  • Secure access for the Northern Plains UAS Test Site to the FAA unfiltered radar data feed, which is currently in process.
    • Once completed, it will use the feed to enhance efforts to detect, identify and track malicious UAS.
    • Between Project ULTRA and the FAA radar data, Grand Forks will be uniquely positioned to develop methods for protecting domestic U.S. military bases against potential UAS threats.

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