Huntsville Leader

This week in Washington, a hearing was convened by Chairman Dale W. Strong, focusing on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in relation to the Department of Homeland Security’s operations. Participants included Huntsville experts representing industry and academia.

Chairman Dale Strong emphasized Huntsville's significance in technological innovation, noting, “Huntsville, Alabama, is renowned for its leadership in cutting-edge research and development. As home to Redstone Arsenal, the nation’s second-largest research park, and several universities, Huntsville is a thriving hub for American innovation. I am pleased that Alabama’s fifth district is well represented on the witness panel.”

The hearing, titled "Exploring the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Across the DHS Enterprise," was co-led by Representatives Dale Strong and Michael Guest. Discussions centered on UAS applications in disaster management, border security, and drug interdiction.

Chairman Strong also highlighted the transformative impact of UAS: “Emerging technologies like UAS are reshaping the way we respond to disasters. Drones enable the protection of emergency management personnel in high-risk situations, while at the same time increase the effectiveness of the work they do.”

He further noted DHS’s use of UAS for border security, saying, “DHS also utilizes UAS to safeguard our borders. They leverage this technology to protect our homeland from illegal crossings and combat illicit activities such as human and drug smuggling.”

Testimonies from Huntsville included Dr. Michael Ledbetter of COLSA Corporation and Jerry Hendrix from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Dr. Ledbetter discussed COLSA's contributions, stating, “COLSA has designed and developed highly reliable and resilient UAS, and manufactured thousands of units currently deployed worldwide. We also developed software to coordinate UAS swarming. COLSA is now a leading provider of low-cost, non-developmental, deployable Group 1 and Group 2 Swarm UAS.”

Jerry Hendrix highlighted achievements at the University, particularly regarding disaster research: “UAH is part of a tier 1 research university that ranks 6th in federal investment in aeronautical and aerospace engineering research. The center specializes in autonomous research focusing on uncrewed systems and counter-uncrewed systems.”

The hearing also addressed DHS collaboration with industry and academia to enhance these systems' development and integration.