An agreement to create a test and evaluation corridor for the development of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) and automated Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) technologies has been signed by officials representing US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Air Mobility Command (AMC), the National Aerospace Research & Technology Park (NARTP), and the Atlantic County Economic Alliance (ACEA).
Under the terms of the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), the parties will cooperatively develop a prototype dual-use US East Coast test and evaluation corridor for the demonstration, development, and evaluation of military, commercial, academic, and Federal Government UAS and AAM technologies with future application to strategic airlift capabilities of the US Air Force.
The availability of the UAS/AAM evaluation corridor between Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) in New Jersey and Dover AFB in Delaware allows AMC and USTRANSCOM to rapidly assess technical and operational concepts for UAS and AAM, and to develop measures of value in operational scenarios. What makes the designated airspace a “dual use” corridor is that the CRADA facilitates the launching and landing of civilian craft from non-DOD sites within the corridor, including the NARTP. Many of the tests and experiments envisioned would only be possible with a dedicated corridor.
The ACEA, the lead agency for economic development in Atlantic County, is providing funding for portions of implementing the CRADA using US Economic Development Administration (USEDA) planning grant funds. According to Lauren Moore, President of the ACEA, “The CRADA is a significant step forward in the evolution of an Aviation Research Triangle in New Jersey that links JBMDL, the Aviation Innovation Hub in Atlantic County, and the UAS work being done in Cape May County. Opening the airspace for military and civilian UAS/AAM research will create significant economic development opportunities that will benefit the entire state of New Jersey.”
USTRANSCOM is one of the 11 unified commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. AMC is a major command of the U.S. Air Force and the air component to USTRANSCOM, also headquartered at Scott. It provides unrivaled airlift, air refueling, aeromedical evacuation, global air mobility support, and Global Mobility Mission Command to project, connect, maneuver, and sustain the Joint Force to achieve national objectives.
The NARTP is a key element of New Jersey’s only state-recognized Aviation Innovation Hub, located in Egg Harbor Township, which links the park to the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center, and Atlantic City International Airport (ACY), a Smart Airport Testbed. In early 2023 the NARTP was awarded a USD2.249 million congressionally directed spending request on Airfield Autonomy Initiative (AAI). Having the Aviation Innovation Hub included within the test and evaluation corridor for UAS and AAM is critical since the FAA Tech Center is ground zero for issues concerning integration of UAS/AAM into the national airspace.
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