Jump to content
SiouxSports.com Forum

Recommended Posts

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Replies 56
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • 2 months later...
Posted

More news on the Northern border surveillance

CBP Unmanned Aircraft to Patrol Northern Border

U.S. Customs and Border Protection today announced its decision to establish a northern border unmanned aircraft system (UAS) pilot program. Based in Grand Forks, N.D., the pilot program will be established by the end of fiscal year 2007.

"As unmanned aircraft have proven to be effective on our southern border, this first step in North Dakota will lay the foundation to expand UAS operations along the nation's northern border," said Michael Kostelnik, assistant commissioner, CBP Air and Marine. "As Customs and Border Protection expands air operations along the northern tier, the presence of the UAS will further enhance our situational awareness."

CBP decided to establish the pilot program in Grand Forks because of its central location along the northern border. With the program based in Grand Forks, CBP will have the capability to launch UAS operations across the entire northern tier.

Posted

U.S. drones to patrol border

Never before has the U.S. kept such a close watch over its northern boundary. The move is a response to growing American fears that the entry of even one potential terrorist through Canada could have serious consequences, said Scott Baker. He took over last Friday as Chief Patrol Agent of Customs and Border Protection in Grand Forks, N.D., responsible for guarding the 1,400-kilometre stretch of border between Lake Superior and Montana.
Washington is working on the UAV project with the North Dakota Air National Guard, based in Fargo, and UND in Grand Forks. Ground controllers in Fargo will conduct Predator missions, but military officials in other places could also guide the remote-controlled drones.
Posted

Pilots Beware: UAVs Coming To US/Canada Border Region

It's about to get a lot more crowded in the skies over the United States/Canada border, as the US government is poised to begin flying Predator unmanned surveillance planes along the entire 5,500-mile stretch between the two countries.
One Canadian defense analyst told the Free Press news of the UAV deployment may surprise other Canadians.

"Didn't we have the longest undefended border for a very, very long time?" said Ian Glenn, chairman of ING Engineering.

"It (the Predator) is just a robot that flies," Glenn added. "And they're going to drive it up and down the border and look for things. Will that be a deterrent to criminal activity? Yes. Will it be a deterrent to terrorist activity? Yes, I guess."

A ringing endorsement, that...

  • 2 months later...
Posted

Big UAV goings-on in Grand Forks this week:

Unmanned intersection

UND markets its role in aviation's future

I like the sound of

Activity related to the realignment of Grand Forks Air Force Base, which focuses on Predator and Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles, could cross paths with an unmanned aircraft Center of Excellence at UND.

Those two assets will mingle with federal Homeland Security's plans to use Predators as part of operations at five Northern Border Air Wings, one of which will be in Grand Forks.

The future of aviation is at UND.

  • 2 months later...
Posted

First flight

UND and Raytheon are teaming up to fly an unmanned aircraft in restricted airspace west of Grand Forks this week, an event one UND official says will be a first for North Dakota.

According to Al Palmer, director of flight operations at the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, the flight will be the state's first unmanned aircraft system launch. Representatives from the school's aviation and engineering schools will help fly a Raytheon Cobra UAS at Camp Grafton South near Devils Lake, a facility used by both the North Dakota Air and Army National Guard.

The future of aviation is indeed at UND. :ohmy:

  • 1 month later...
Posted

Grand Forks border patrol to get drone next spring

Grand Forks) GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) The new federal Customs and Border Patrol air branch in Grand Forks will start using a drone to patrol the northern border next spring.

Senator Kent Conrad says the first of four aircraft will arrive in Grand Forks around April 15th.

Conrad briefed border agents yesterday on a federal Homeland Security bill headed for a House-Senate conference committee.

A formal opening of the new northern border air wing at the Grand Forks airport is set for September 22nd. Conrad says it'll be an operational hub.

He says 85 agents will be added to help guard the 861 border miles in the Grand Forks district.

He says the southern border has some 12,000 agents, or about 12 times as many as the northern border.

Posted

OUR OPINION : The Kettering Bug and the humble origin of UAVs

Unmanned aerial vehicles' local prospects gained even more altitude last week with the news that Grand Forks will headquarter the federal government's efforts to patrol America's northern border with UAVs.

Congratulations to Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and others for this dramatic upgrade in our regional mission. The change accelerates Grand Forks' emergence as a national leader in this amazing industry.

Speaking of which, let's take a quick look at that industry's ever-brightening near future as well as its somewhat checkered distant past.

Sounds like a good industry for Grand Forks and UND to be involved in.
  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...
Posted

HIGHER EDUCATION: UAS lands at UND aerospace

Two unmanned aerial system planes landed Friday at UND's Odegard Hall - one of them smack in the middle of Aerospace Dean Bruce Smith's desktop.

The Canadian-designed CropCam has a wingspan of about eight feet, enough to extend just beyond the edges of Smith's desk, where it was displayed Friday to members of the media.

The drone aircraft runs about four feet from nose to tail. That's about one-seventh the size of the Predator UAS, which should arrive at the Grand Forks Air Force Base this spring to patrol the Canadian border.

  • 2 months later...
  • 3 months later...
Posted

UND Aerospace Announces Unmanned Aircraft System Fly Days

The University of North Dakota (UND) John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences will be flying its own Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) at Camp Grafton South on July 29, 31 and August 1, 2008. UND Aerospace will be flying the CropCam, a six-pound UAS that was designed for agricultural uses.....

UAS flights should start about 1000 AM and go until 4 PM weather permitting. Flights may go later if weather delays the early flights. The site location is 8870 Highway 15, Building 9165, which is behind the M60 range.

Posted

ND governor: Univ. has share in defense contract

Gov. John Hoeven says the University of North Dakota is part of an Air Force contract totaling near $50 million that involves unmanned aerial vehicles.

Hoeven says UND's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center will train pilots to operate the unmanned systems. He says private sector partners in the contract are Crew Training International Inc., Science Applications International Corp., XVionics Inc. and BGI LLC.

  • 5 months later...
Posted

UND likely to invest in UAS equipment

To sustain its nascent program to train pilots of unmanned aircraft, UND will likely need to invest millions in new equipment within the next six months.

The biggest expenses would come from new simulators, which can cost close to $2 million a piece, and, eventually, new unmanned aircraft.

Where the money comes from and how much of it will be available will determine the scope of the program, according to Bruce Smith, dean of UND

Posted

Boom times ahead for North Dakota and especially the GF region?

In August 2002 then House Majority Leader and North Dakota native Dick Armey R-Texas had this to say about a

shift in government spending. {To the victor goes the spoils. ]

Senator Conrad was the 2nd Senator to endorse President elect Obama for President the first being fellow Illinois Senator Dick Durbin.

Senator Dorgan also endorsed Obama. Obama has spoken highly of the 2 Senators from North Dakota.

What does this mean for the future of the GF Airbase or UND Aerospace or other programs at UND like the Med School?

Will we see more cooperation between the Air Force and CAS? Will the US Border Patrol continue to grow?

How will this effect the research coridor set up at UND and NDSU?

Does the GF region have the the most to gain from anybody in the state from an Obama adminstration?

GF took 2 major blows with the downsizing of the Base ond the flood of 97. How many people did we lose 10,000? The city has bounced back

remarkably well.

The whole state of North Dakota should benefit from this. As Dick Armey says [To the victor goes the spoils.]

  • 3 months later...
Posted

UND seeks UAV major

UND is seeking formal approval for a new major in operating unmanned aircraft at the State Board of Higher Education meeting Thursday.

The university expects to enroll 10 this fall, 12 in the spring and 78 more by 2012, according to documents UND filed with the state board. The first class should graduate in 2014.

  • 2 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...