Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Shawn Bratton visited Grand Forks Air Force Base as plans move forward for a $250 million Space Operations Center, highlighting the region’s growing importance in U.S. space and defense strategy.

The U.S. Department of War awarded an additional $11.8 million to InDyne Inc. to support PARCS radar operations at Cavalier Space Force Station, raising the total contract value to $72.9 million. The funding strengthens missile warning and space surveillance capabilities and underscores North Dakota’s role in national defense.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) addressed attendees virtually at the 19th annual Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Summit and Expo in Grand Forks. He announced Grand Forks Air Force Base will serve as the home of the new Point Defense Battle Lab, which will play a pivotal role in countering the type of small drone warfare being instigated by adversaries.

By a vote of 77 to 20, the United States Senate passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), authorizing more than $900 billion in FY26 for defense-related initiatives. The annual bill accelerates the rebuilding of the United States’ arsenal of democracy by reforming the Pentagon’s budgeting and acquisition process to spur innovation, returning the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to its warfighting mission, and increasing military readiness.

To showcase North Dakota’s leadership in Unmanned Aerial Systems, counter-drone innovation, and national security readiness, Anno.Ai and Dunlevy Consulting hosted the Versus UAS/Counter-UAS Symposium at Camp Grafton. The event highlighted North Dakota’s innovative defense ecosystem and the state’s growth as a UAS center of excellence.

Leadership at the University of North Dakota and the Space Development Agency officially signed an Educational Partnership Agreement, showcasing the pivotal role the university and Grand Forks play in space development and the security of the nation.

Following a fireside chat at the 18th annual UAS Summit and Expo, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and defense entrepreneur and founder of Anduril Industries, Palmer Luckey, participated in a townhall with students at the University of North Dakota (UND). The discussion focused on the topic of how small, nimble defense companies like Anduril are “rebooting the arsenal of democracy.”

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer and Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries, attended the 18th annual Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Summit and Expo in Grand Forks, with hundreds of UAS industry leaders and policymakers from across the country gathering in North Dakota. They discussed how policymakers can break through tradition to unleash the potential of private sector and startups like Anduril while encouraging the government to match the speed of business.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer announced tech billionaire and defense entrepreneur, Palmer Luckey, will be his guest at this year’s UAS Summit and Expo in Grand Forks, Oct. 8 and 9. Luckey is best known for founding Oculus VR when he was 20 years old. At age 22, he sold the company to Meta for $2 billion in cash and stock. In 2017, he founded Anduril Industries, a defense technology company focused on autonomous drones and sensors for military applications.

The U.S. Navy announced a $14,499,109 contract with Ideal Aerosmith, Inc. for the development of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) technology. Specifically, the contract will reimburse costs associated with hardware in the loop, software in the loop, and inspection and testing methodologies enabling attributable unmanned system development.