Indiana Pushes to Become America’s Next FAA Drone Test Site

U.S. Senator Todd Young has led Indiana’s entire congressional delegation in a bipartisan letter urging the FAA to select the state as one of two new national drone test sites, WRBI Radio reported.

The delegation argues that Indiana’s manufacturing power, military infrastructure, and academic research capabilities make it an ideal location for the expansion of the federal UAS Test Site Program.

Indiana Delegation Unites Behind FAA Test Site Bid

The support letter, signed by every member of Indiana’s congressional delegation including Congresswoman Erin Houchin, emphasizes that Indiana is positioned to help the FAA integrate drones into the national airspace system while advancing American-built drone technology.

Lawmakers highlighted Indiana’s central location, diverse testing environments, and strong state and federal backing as key advantages. They said the state could deliver the “best outcomes for American leadership in drone manufacturing and deployment.”

Their push builds on the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which authorized two additional UAS test sites beyond the seven that already exist across Alaska, North Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Virginia.

Why Indiana Thinks It Can Lead America’s Drone Future

Indiana’s pitch is built on a mix of industrial capability, academic expertise, and military infrastructure.

The state already hosts the Technology Readiness and Experimentation initiative at Camp Atterbury, a major hub where the military tests advanced UAS and counter-UAS technology. In 2025, the site demonstrated a system capable of neutralizing a swarm of forty-nine drones with a single electromagnetic pulse, a milestone in U.S. counter-drone defense.

Muscatatuck Urban Training Center offers additional restricted airspace for complex testing scenarios, while NSWC Crane continues to expand its role in counter-UAS development.

Purdue University brings deep academic strength to the proposal with the nation’s first university-owned airport, the world’s largest indoor motion-capture facility, and research programs dedicated to drone safety and airspace integration.

The Applied Research Institute, one of the state’s major consortium managers, supports projects that link industry, defense, and academia. Its involvement is expected to help coordinate large-scale drone R&D and manufacturing across Indiana.

At the state level, Governor Mike Braun’s recent executive order created the Indiana Initiative for Drone Dominance Task Force.

The task force is developing a statewide strategy to strengthen drone manufacturing, improve public-safety drone operations, establish new aerial test corridors, and expand counter-UAS capabilities. Senator Young collaborated closely on the initiative and says it positions Indiana to match federal priorities.

What an FAA Test Site Would Mean for Hoosiers and the U.S.

If Indiana is selected, the state would become a central hub for drone research, testing, and manufacturing at a time when the U.S. is seeking to reduce its dependence on foreign-made drones.

Lawmakers argue that Indiana could help restore American drone dominance by supporting everything from defense applications to agriculture, infrastructure inspection, and public-safety operations.

The FAA would gain a new partner capable of testing detect-and-avoid systems, command-and-control links, beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations, airworthiness standards, and urban air-mobility technologies. Indiana universities and manufacturers would gain access to federal research grants, experimental airworthiness approvals, and expanded testing infrastructure.

The state also plans to create an aerial test corridor connecting Camp Atterbury, Muscatatuck, and NSWC Crane. New training pipelines would prepare Hoosiers for drone engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, and public-safety operations, supporting a share of the North American drone market, which could reach fifty-nine billion dollars by 2030.

Supporters say the effort aligns with President Trump’s executive orders on restoring American drone leadership and strengthening domestic airspace security. They argue that Indiana’s manufacturing workforce, military assets, and universities position the state to scale drone production and deliver new technology across the country.

DroneXL’s Take

Indiana is setting itself up as a serious contender for one of the two new FAA test sites. The combination of manufacturing strength, military testing ranges, and academic capability gives the state a compelling case.

If approved, the site could accelerate America’s move away from foreign-built drones and position the Midwest as a new center for U.S. drone innovation.

Photo credit: Todd Young, FAA