Project ULTRA Seeks to Integrate Drone Operations into Shared Airspace
FAA, DoD, and Industry Partners Collaborate on UAS Integration
At AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2026 in Detroit, officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Department of Defense (DoD), test sites, and industry representatives discussed ongoing efforts to integrate drone operations into the National Airspace System (NAS). This initiative, known as Project ULTRA, aims to create a coordinated operational framework that includes drones, counter-UAS systems, and traditional aircraft operations.
Shifting Perspectives on Drone Operations
The discussions highlighted a significant shift in the drone industry, moving away from viewing uncrewed aircraft as exceptions that require isolated approvals. Instead, agencies are increasingly focused on enabling drones to operate as part of regular air traffic.
Christopher Hewlett from the Grand Sky UAS Ecosystem emphasized this change, stating, “We’re not asking the drones to be different, we’re asking them to be treated as aircraft.”
Project ULTRA Overview
Project ULTRA is based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and involves collaboration among the FAA, DoD, Grand Sky, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, and Air Force partners. This project builds on previous DoD UTM efforts and emphasizes operational testing in complex airspace environments.
Advancing Beyond Demonstrations
Panelists noted that the objective has evolved from merely demonstrating the safety of drone flights to scaling coordinated operations within shared airspace.
Ryan Simms of Patriot Strategies, who moderated the panel, described the initiative as part of a broader effort to normalize UAV traffic, establish standards, and achieve interoperability.
This coordination encompasses:
- manned aircraft
- BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drone operations
- airport drone activities
- counter-UAS systems
- logistics flights
- military operations
John Sawyer from Modern Technology Solutions, representing the DoD, highlighted the challenge of developing operating procedures and technologies that facilitate airspace integration across various locations, not just within a single Air Force base.
“We fight wars. We defend the nation. We have to have the capability to fly a manned or unmanned aircraft… not only in our national airspace system, but overseas,” Sawyer stated, underscoring the need for a system that merges defense requirements with civil airspace integration efforts.
Counter-UAS as a Traffic Management Challenge
A key theme from the session was the increasing connection between counter-UAS operations and broader airspace management. Sawyer noted the complexity of coordinating various air traffic elements, including manned aircraft, helicopter operations, counter-UAS detection systems, and BVLOS UAS operations.
Panelists described the challenge as a “system of systems” problem, where different detection platforms and traffic management systems must collaborate without overwhelming operators with data.
Trevor Woods from the Northern Plains UAS Test Site pointed out ongoing technical gaps in detection and identification, emphasizing the need for precise systems that can differentiate between legitimate aircraft and potential threats.
“There is a gap in knowing who’s friendly and who isn’t friendly,” Woods remarked, highlighting the importance of operational intent sharing and visibility into authorized flights.
Developing a Scalable Framework
FAA officials indicated that Project ULTRA serves as a learning platform for adapting existing rules and approval pathways to accommodate increasingly complex drone operations.
“Everything Project ULTRA is doing is new and different,” said FAA representative Jim Reynolds. “Any one of them might be novel, but combining them all together requires… thinking about new pathways to get those approvals.”
Participants emphasized that the work at Grand Forks is intended to extend beyond a single location. Woods noted, “When this was graduating from DoD UTM to Project ULTRA, the measuring stick was: what can we build up in a year that will continue to provide value 10 years from now?”
This long-term perspective is crucial, as Project ULTRA aims not only to test drones but also to explore how the FAA, DoD, airports, operators, and security systems can function together in an airspace environment where drone traffic becomes commonplace.