Mississippi State selected to lead Homeland Security UAS test site
Contact: Jim Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss. 鈥 91传媒 will lead a major research and development project for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after a rigorous and highly competitive review process.
The DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has selected Mississippi as the new base of operations for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), commonly known as drones, and a Mississippi State-led partnership will oversee the initiative.
The new DHS S&T Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Demonstration Range Facility will support homeland security operations and training by providing UAS flight and exercise support facilities that will support operational evaluation of UAS in a variety of applications and scenarios.
In a joint statement, Mississippi鈥檚 congressional delegation on Wednesday [April 19] welcomed the decision.
U.S. Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and U.S. Representatives Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), Gregg Harper (R-Miss.), Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) and Trent Kelly (R-Miss.) strongly endorsed the proposal developed by the Mississippi Partnership.聽
聽鈥淭his is a great win for not only 91传媒, but our entire state, and I appreciate the support of our partners and federal, state and local officials,鈥 said 91传媒 President Mark E. Keenum.
鈥淥ur talented faculty and the research resources we have developed are paying significant dividends to economic development, national defense and homeland security in our state and nation, and also providing our undergraduate and graduate students with wonderful research opportunities that are making a difference,鈥 he said.
The Mississippi Partnership includes the Mississippi National Guard鈥檚 Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, the Mississippi Air National Guard鈥檚 Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center, NASA鈥檚 Stennis Space Center, the Jackson County Port Authority and the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 say enough about the outstanding effort and work our team put into our proposal, and I think it鈥檚 a terrific example of the collaborative culture we鈥檝e developed on campus,鈥 said David Shaw, 91传媒鈥檚 vice president for research and economic development.
鈥淲e work very well with others,鈥 he said.
The university also works closely with the Mississippi Development Authority and Gov. Phil Bryant鈥檚 office to support the state鈥檚 robust aerospace sector. (See more at .)
鈥淲e anticipate the new DHS demonstration range facility will be an additional asset in the State of Mississippi鈥檚 overall economic development focus on advanced technology and highly-skilled jobs,鈥 Shaw said.
The new DHS S&T demonstration range facility will utilize approximately 2,000 square miles of restricted airspace at altitudes up to 60,000 feet, primarily in southern and coastal Mississippi. Multiple sites will play a role in the testing, including Camp Shelby, the Stennis Space Center buffer zones, and Singing River Island.
鈥淢ississippi has a number of unique assets that facilitate unmanned aircraft test flights that aren鈥檛 found in many other places, and we can fly year round,鈥 said Dallas Brooks, director of 91传媒鈥檚 Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, who will lead the demonstration range team.
The partnership鈥檚 members provide facilities, expertise and personnel to conduct specialized evaluation and training for DHS agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
According to Brooks, thanks to the diversity of the Mississippi Partnership鈥檚 offerings, DHS S&T will be able to conduct exercise and training to support a wide variety of simulated scenarios, including disaster relief (flood, fire and earthquake), highway and rail accidents, border protection, and containment of hazardous materials spills.
聽All of the planned exercise events will incorporate small UAS to assist DHS in monitoring and assessing the simulated scenarios over both land and water.
鈥淯nmanned aircraft provide unmatched data that first responders and homeland defense agencies can use to make faster and better decisions across a range of critical situations,鈥 Brooks said.
The demonstration range facility is expected to begin operations this fall, he said.
Mississippi State has a long and distinguished history in manned and unmanned aeronautics research. Raspet has a global reputation for composites research, and it has served as a start-up facility for various aerospace companies in the Gulf South鈥檚 growing Aerospace Corridor providing workspace, technical training and product assistance.
鈥淲e have a very successful track record, and are looking forward to the new opportunities the DHS facility brings,鈥 Brooks said.
The DHS designation further enhances the state and 91传媒鈥檚 growing unmanned aircraft R&D portfolio. In 2015, after a similar competitive review process, the Federal Aviation Administration selected the 91传媒-led Alliance for System Safety of UAS Through Research Excellence (ASSURE) to operate a new national center of excellence for unmanned aircraft systems. Last fall, the State of Mississippi joined the Pan-Pacific UAS Test Range Complex 鈥 one of seven of the FAA鈥檚 UAS test sites.
鈥淢ississippi is fast becoming the nation鈥檚 hub as public and private partners work to successfully 鈥 and safely 鈥 integrate UAS into our national airspace system, and Mississippi State is leading the way,鈥 Brooks noted.
For additional information about the DHS S&T demonstration range facility or other UAS activities in the state, contact Brooks at dallas.brooks@msstate.edu or 662-268-6156.
91传媒 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .