Grand Forks Facility Develops Counter-Drone Technology

Grand Sky business park tests systems to detect, identify, and disable unmanned aerial threats

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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The Grand Sky business and aviation park in Grand Forks, North Dakota is working on developing counter-drone technology to defend against bad actors using unmanned aerial systems to cause harm. The facility, a partnership between the Air Force, Grand Forks County, and Grand Sky Development, is testing ways to detect, identify, and disable drones that could pose a threat to people or critical infrastructure.

Why it matters

As drones become more prevalent, there is a growing need for effective counter-drone measures to protect public safety and security. The work being done at Grand Sky aims to address this emerging threat and develop solutions that can be deployed to safeguard communities.

The details

Grand Sky CEO Tom Swoyer explained that 'counter UAS' refers to the process of defending against drones used for malicious purposes. The facility is focused on developing technology to detect, identify, and ultimately take down such drones. Swoyer noted that over $45 million in defense funding was allocated for counter-drone efforts in the latest congressional budget.

  • The counter-drone work at Grand Sky is an ongoing effort.

The players

Grand Sky

A business and aviation park in Grand Forks, North Dakota that brings together the Air Force, Grand Forks County, and Grand Sky Development to test drone technology.

Tom Swoyer

The CEO of Grand Sky who discussed the facility's counter-drone efforts.

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What they’re saying

“We're trying to stop what they're doing by means of detecting, identifying and then tracking those drones and then ultimately figuring out how to take them down.”

— Tom Swoyer, CEO, Grand Sky (The Flag)

What’s next

The counter-drone work at Grand Sky is expected to continue as the facility further develops and tests its detection and mitigation technologies.

The takeaway

The growing threat of malicious drone use has spurred the development of counter-drone capabilities, with facilities like Grand Sky playing a key role in advancing these critical security measures.