Unlocking UAS Through Our Capabilities

The Northern Plains UAS Test Site has been a leading, full-service UAS capabilities provider for more than a decade. Our experience and subject-matter expertise leads operators through all phases of UAS missions, through research, flight testing, and real-world mission execution.

A direct partner with the FAA, we provide the testing and advisory services to facilitate and enhance UAS flights. Tap into our subject matter experts to get help on key aspects of UAS safety and best practices within Part 107/108 regulatory space, and mission execution. We help companies host the testing and evaluation of UAS technologies.

Waivers and Operational Approvals

The NPUASTS accelerates access to complex flight operations through its established waiver and operational approval framework. Leveraging longstanding FAA relationships, pre-built regulatory knowledge, and the Near-Term Approval Process (NTAP), the NPUASTS reduces typical approval timelines.

By handling the regulatory groundwork upfront – through abbreviated intake, safety risk analysis, and proven approval pathways – NPUASTS removes friction from testing and operations. The result is faster deployment, greater operational freedom, and the ability to iterate on aircraft design without being constrained by traditional waiver limitations.

An example of airspace with an aircraft, containing the text "Aircraft agnostic up to 1,320 lbs."

Section 44803 Approvals

Only a UAS Test Site can be granted Section 44803 approvals for UAS flight from the FAA. Through this designation, NPUASTS can establish aircraft-agnostic 44803 airspace approvals anywhere in the United States, providing industry partners access to operational environments that mirror real deployment conditions rather than constrained test corridors.

Under NPUASTS 44803 authority, partners can take the fastest path from concept to operational reality, including:

  • Operate aircraft agnostic up to 1,320 pounds
  • Fly at altitudes up to 17,999 feet MSL (depending on location)
  • Conduct testing in pre-approved airspace across North Dakota or other U.S. locations
  • Execute beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations using Vantis, North Dakota's UAS system within the state
  • Help execute extended-visual-line-of-sight and BVLOS operations outside of North Dakota
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Certificate & Airworthiness Acceptance

We streamline the path to flight by providing airworthiness acceptance, a practical, FAA-aligned validation that helps partners move forward without immediately pursuing a formal airworthiness certificate. While only the FAA can issue official certificates, NPUASTS uses pre-approved FAA/ASTM-based templates to evaluate whether an aircraft is structurally sound, safely assembled, and capable of operating as intended.

The process functions like a highly structured pre-flight inspection, verifying both build quality and performance claims, allowing clients to begin testing, collect data, and advance technology readiness levels more efficiently. As a Public Aircraft Operator (PAO) we can self certify (acceptance) UAS and within the regulations defined within 44803 we can bypass the requirement for FAA airworthiness certification.

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Counter-UAS Testing and Evaluation

We're a nationally trusted partner for Counter-UAS (C-UAS) testing, evaluation, and operational demonstrations in the National Airspace System (NAS). For more than five years, we have supported government and industry partners in safely planning and executing real-world C-UAS testing across the full mission spectrum — from detection and tracking to identification and live mitigation.

Through sponsored activity, NPUASTS has hands-on experience supporting C-UAS systems across all mission phases:

  • Detect, Track, Identify, and Mitigate (DTIM)
  • Kinetic and Non-Kinetic Mitigation Systems
  • Directed Energy (laser and high-powered microwave)
  • Radiofrequency (RF) jamming/denial
  • Net capture systems
  • Projectile-based mitigation (AI-driven shotgun systems, conventional shotgun and ballistic types)
  • Interceptor and "suicide drone" systems
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Independent Testing

We provide independent, unbiased testing and auditing using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). As a Third-Party Testing Agency (TPTA), we operate completely outside the manufacturer or operator environment, delivering objective, standards-based evaluations recognized across the UAS industry.

Parachute Recovery Systems

We verify parachute design, performance, and safety requirements are met for parachute systems. ASTM F3322 is a performance standard for parachute recovery systems used on unmanned aircraft. It defines how chute systems must be tested, validated, and documented to show they can safely slow and land a UAS during an emergency.

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ADSP (Automated Data Service Providers)

NPUASTS is helping define the future of UAS operations through its leadership in Automated Data Service Providers (ADSP), a new regulatory framework that enables third-party services to safely support drone flights at scale. In traditional aviation, systems like navigation aids, avionics, and weather services are independently certified to support aircraft operations.

ADSP introduces this same concept to UAS, allowing services such as command-and-control (C2) connectivity, airspace surveillance, flight planning (strategic deconfliction), and localized weather data to be certified and integrated into operations. This marks a critical shift from today’s fragmented model toward a scalable, service-based ecosystem that enables beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations and advanced airspace integration. Through infrastructure like Vantis, NPUASTS is already operating at the forefront of this transformation, having designed a system that is largely compliant with ADSP certification and the proposed Part 146 rule.

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