General Atomics plans to set up drone academy in Grand Forks

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s unmanned aircraft business and technology park has landed a second major defense contractor.

Sen. John Hoeven and Rep. Kevin Cramer say that General Atomics has reached a tentative agreement to establish an unmanned aerial systems training academy at Grand Sky, which is located on the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

General Atomics is one of the world’s leading developers of high-technology systems, including the Predator and Reaper drones. Company officials toured the park on Monday.

Northrop Grumman, which manufactures the Global Hawk drone, has already signed a lease agreement to be the first tenant at the park. Both General Atomics and Northrop Grumman sell aircraft overseas and expect to train international pilots in the United States.

Hoeven calls the tentative agreement with General Atomics a “big step forward.”