General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), has officially signed a lease with Grand Sky. Their 5.5 acre space will be a hangar facility to support aircraft operations as part of an aircrew training academy. Groundbreaking is planned for this fall, with construction completed as soon as early 2016. The lease is for 10 years, with options to extend for an additional 20 years.
A summary of General Atomics’ inital Grand Sky plans from Dan Fritz, Director of International Programs, Aircraft Systems, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. in his presentation:
Full news release:
Grand Sky welcomes General Atomics as tenant
Lease agreement advances Grand Sky and North Dakota’s role as leader in UAS industry
(GRAND FORKS, N.D.) — Grand Sky, America’s first unmanned aerial systems (UAS) business and aviation park, announced it has signed a lease with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems solutions.
Under the agreement, GA-ASI will lease 5.5 acres at Grand Sky for 10 years, with options to extend the lease for an additional 20 years. The company intends to use the space for a hangar facility, which will support aircraft operations as part of an aircrew training academy to be established in Grand Forks. A groundbreaking for the facility is anticipated this fall. Construction could be complete as soon as early 2016.
“We are honored to add General Atomics to the growing list of operators choosing to do business at Grand Sky,” says Thomas Swoyer, Jr., President of Grand Sky Development Company. “Their decision to locate a facility at our site cements the fact that Grand Sky is the best place in the world to continue developing this industry. We look forward to seeing the advancements General Atomics, and our other tenants, make as a result of operating in this extremely collaborative and supportive environment.”
Grand Sky is co-located with the Grand Forks Air Force Base, where two of GA-ASI’s current products – the Predator B aircraft and MQ-1 Predator A aircraft – are operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Customs and Border Protection and North Dakota Air National Guard, respectively. GA-ASI says it selected Grand Sky and Grand Forks to expand its training operations for several reasons, including the state’s uncongested skies; local, state and federal support of the industry, and a training range to meet its customers’ needs.
Grand Sky Development Company President Thomas Swoyer, Jr., says the combination of full security, access to a long Air Force Base runway, a supportive business climate, close proximity to an FAA test site and several nearby higher education institutions with UAS-related training programs makes Grand Sky truly unique in the industry. “There is no other place in the nation that offers this many positives when it comes to researching and commercializing UAS products,” he says. “Interest is high in Grand Sky among the industry for that very reason and we expect to announce additional tenants by the end of this year.”
Grand Sky offers 1.2 million square feet of space when fully developed. Earlier this year, Northrop Grumman agreed to lease 10 acres of space for research, flight tests, training, light manufacturing and other activities. Future tenants could include those interested in hangar space, data centers, laboratories or office space.
