Gov. Braun secures National Drone Test Site Designation for Indiana

Monday, January 12, 2026 at 8:00 PM

Governor Mike Braun’s effort to position Indiana to lead in American drone technology saw a massive win this week, with Indiana being chosen as one of two states to win a designated national drone testing site.

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford announced the two new test sites for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) today. Indiana will be among the first new UAS testing grounds in nearly a decade.

“Indiana is taking a leading role in President Trump’s mission to unleash American drone dominance. This new national drone test site designation will attract high-paying jobs and defense tech investment, and is a major victory in my initiative to position Indiana as the premier state partner for the defense industry to build, invest, and grow.” - Gov. Mike Braun

In October, Governor Mike Braun signed an executive order to position Indiana to lead in the federal government’s mission of American drone dominance. The executive order created the Indiana Initiative for Drone Dominance Task Force to utilize Indiana’s unique attributes to lead the nation in this important sector, including Indiana's robust advanced manufacturing industry, expertise from NWSC Crane, restricted airspace over assets like Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, strong policy framework, and universities with established programs to further drone research and development.

Governor Braun’s Drone Dominance initiative works to support President Trump’s Unleashing American Drone Dominance and Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty executive orders, which set a national goal for American leadership in drone technology and airspace security