General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is marking a decade of operations at its Flight Test and Training Center (FTTC) located at GrandSKY UAS Business Park. Since opening in July 2016, the facility has played a pivotal role in advancing uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) capabilities and training, supporting more than 4,000 pilots and sensor operators globally.
Over the past 10 years, the FTTC has served as the launch point for several historic UAS milestones and has been central to the development and operational expansion of GA-ASI’s next-generation MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft, now ordered by 10 countries.
“It’s been an eventful decade for the FTTC,” said Linden Blue. “We opened this facility with the idea of expanding our flight test and training capability in a location with a lot of open sky, and we found that in North Dakota.”
The center has enabled a series of significant flight achievements, including the first nonstop transatlantic flight of a medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft (MQ-9B) in 2018. Additional milestones include Arctic Circle operations and recent Flight Into Known Icing tests, reinforcing the platform’s operational resilience.
“Starting with the first nonstop transatlantic flight of a medium-altitude, long-endurance RPA (MQ-9B) in 2018, GA-ASI has used the FTTC as a launch pad for a number of historic flights, including flying an MQ-9A inside the Arctic Circle, and just this year when we completed Flight Into Known Icing tests using MQ-9B,” added Mr. Blue.
John Hoeven highlighted the broader impact of the partnership, stating: “We’ve built North Dakota into the premier location for unmanned aviation. As one of GrandSKY’s anchor tenants, General Atomics has been a tremendous partner in this effort, and we appreciate the company’s continued investment in our UAS ecosystem over these past 10 years. When we first began working to establish our unmanned industry more than 20 years ago, GrandSKY was just an idea. Through years of collaboration and effort, we secured a lease to establish the technology and business park at the air base, and we got to work finding the right tenants to make this first-of-its-kind initiative a success. As we worked with General Atomics’ leadership, including CEO Linden Blue, it was clear the company would be a natural fit. Today, we look back on how far our efforts have taken us and celebrate a decade of successful partnership.”
Key Milestones from 10 Years of FTTC Operations
- July 2016: First flight of Predator® RPA
- August 2017: First permanent hangar opens
- July 2018: MQ-9B SkyGuardian® completes first transatlantic flight to RAF Fairford
- August 2018: Facility expands to more than 11 acres
- August 2019: FAA grants No-Chase Certificate of Waiver or Authorization
- March 2020: New Predator Mission Trainer installed
- September 2021: MQ-9A flies past the 78th parallel into Arctic region
- July 2022: First SkyGuardian Mission Trainer installed
- February 2023: MQ-9B completes cold weather validation tests
- May 2023: First international customer begins MQ-9B training
- August 2023: Second permanent hangar opens
- August 2024: Air Systems Training team established
- April 2026: MQ-9B completes Flight Into Known Icing tests
Over the decade, the FTTC has evolved into a critical hub for innovation, testing, and training, supporting GA-ASI’s global UAS operations and strengthening North Dakota’s position as a leading center for unmanned aviation.
