# Grand Forks Expands Autonomous Aircraft Operations

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems strategic-development vice president Patrick “Mike” Shortsleeve described a 20–30-year outlook in which crewed aircraft operate alongside increasingly capable autonomous systems, with human oversight remaining central. The report also notes completion of an MQ-9 remote-operations facility at GrandSky in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It identifies no solicitation, contract award, funding amount, or procurement contact, so this is a market-direction signal rather than an active acquisition opportunity.

- Defense contractors can evaluate capabilities relevant to collaborative combat aircraft, autonomous-system integration, and coordination between human operators and machines.
- The completed GrandSky facility signals local capacity for MQ-9 remote operations, but the report does not identify a specific government requirement or funding commitment.
- Procurement teams and industry stakeholders should distinguish this long-range market outlook from a competed opportunity; the article provides no solicitation details or acquisition timeline.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** November 08, 2026

### Government Entities
- United States Air Force (USAF)
- United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM)

### Vendors
- General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. ()

### Key Quotes
> The name of collaborative combat aircraft seems to indicate that there’s not just collaboration between machine and human, but machine and machine.
> — Andrew Armacost, President, University of North Dakota

### Sources
- [Future of air warfare includes merger of manned and unmanned aircraft - Grand Forks Herald | Grand Forks, East Grand Forks news, weather & sports](https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/local/future-of-air-warfare-includes-merger-of-manned-and-unmanned-aircraft) - Grand Forks Herald