The US Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have announced two new drone test sites in Oklahoma and Indiana, marking the first expansion of the program in nearly a decade.
The new sites, hosted by The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, will support the development, testing, and evaluation of public and civil unmanned aircraft system (UAS), helping integrate them safely into the National Airspace System.
Officials emphasized the sites’ role in advancing beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations, autonomous flight, and multi-drone operations.
“These new test sites will allow us to gather critical data and test new systems, ensuring the United States safely leads in drone innovation,” said Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.
Meanwhile, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford added that the facilities will modernize cargo delivery methods, emergency medical transport, and advanced aviation technologies while informing safety and security standards.
The announcement also fulfills President Donald Trump’s Executive Order “Unleashing American Drone Dominance,” aimed at creating high-skilled jobs and positioning the US as a global leader in unmanned aircraft technologies.
UAS Test Site Program
Since its launch in 2013, the FAA’s UAS Test Site program has been central to developing and scaling drone technologies across the US.
The two new sites become the eighth and ninth designated locations, joining established centers in Alaska, North Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Virginia.
The Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration enabled BVLOS testing of cargo and medical delivery drones in 2022, helping the US Postal Service pilot remote deliveries.
In New Mexico, the state’s UAS test site facilitated military and commercial trials for autonomous inspection systems on infrastructure, including power lines and pipelines, in 2023.
Texas A&M’s Corpus Christi Autonomy Research Institute advanced urban air mobility projects in 2024, including the first FAA-approved citywide BVLOS flight corridors for package delivery drones.
Meanwhile, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site in North Dakota played a key role in evaluating counter-drone technologies for national security applications in 2023.
