May 28—GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks County Commission approved the contract for the first task order from the Department of Defense as part of the unmanned aircraft system evaluation

project being undertaken at Grand Sky.

The task order is part of Project ULTRA, which stands for UAS Logistics, Traffic, Research and Autonomy. The project will study how UAS can deliver military cargo. The commission approved the task order contract during a special meeting Tuesday morning.

Per an agreement between the county and Grand Sky, Grand Sky will be actually managing the task order. According to Sen. John Hoeven‘s office, the task order is worth $2.5 million. Project ULTRA will look specifically at the movement of cargo payloads of more than 55 pounds across distances of 60 miles or more.

“We established Project ULTRA to accelerate the military’s ability to use UAS on an everyday basis,” Hoeven, R-N.D., said in a statement. “North Dakota’s expertise in bringing UAS into the national airspace will help us demonstrate how the military can take advantage of UAS technology. It begins with moving supplies between North Dakota bases, with more to come using funding we’ve provided in FY2024 and that we will continue to advance in future appropriations legislation.”

Hoeven also said that an additional task order about a demonstration flight between Grand Forks Air Force Base and Cavalier Space Force Station is expected this fall.