– BlueHalo and GrandSKY, the nation’s first commercial business park focused on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), announced a formal agreement today through a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU). The collaboration will promote the integration of BlueHalo’s next- generation autonomous systems, layered air defense solutions, hypersonic telemetry, and airspace command and control technologies into GrandSKY’s facilities and Air Space Infrastructure Systems (ASIS) to create an unmatched flight operations environment.
“This agreement marks a pivotal step forward in advancing capabilities for uncrewed aviation and national airspace security by enhancing the safety, reliability, and scalability of UAS within controlled airspace,” said Trip Ferguson, BlueHalo Chief Operating Officer. “GrandSKY is a world-class leader in UAS research and operations. Together, we are creating a special hub for hands-on research and development and industry collaboration that will yield results for our national airspace and our military abroad.”
In addition to the knowledge and resource sharing provided through the MOU, BlueHalo is expanding work on its PANTHER phased array antenna technology at GrandSKY. PANTHER is used for hypersonic missile tracking and telemetry in the Range Hawk unmanned aircraft by the Test Resource Management Center’s (TRMC) Sky Range program at GrandSKY; it is also being developed for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. BlueHalo will also integrate its airspace command and control technology, VigilantHalo, into GrandSKY’s BVLOS system to enhance airspace awareness and control while increasing counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) capabilities at the facility as part of Project ULTRA, launched last May by GrandSKY. The ASIS CORE system (Cooperative Open Research Environment) is a groundbreaking system that addresses the critical challenges of integrating UAS into the national airspace system (NAS), making it the backbone of UAS traXic management under Project ULTRA.
“By combining our expertise and capabilities, we can accelerate innovation and quickly transition groundbreaking technologies to the frontlines,” GrandSKY Founder and President Thomas Swoyer Jr. said. “BlueHalo and GrandSKY are poised to revolutionize how industry, community, and government come together to advance technologies, integrate systems, and train operators.”
The MOU with GrandSKY expands BlueHalo’s presence in North Dakota. Last year, the company announced a partnership with Bismarck State College to advance hypersonic missile testing research and train students for high-tech defense industry jobs in the state. BSC is set to open its new Polytechnic Advanced Technology Center later this month.
Source: BlueHalo