FAA Designates First New Drone Test Sites in Nearly a Decade: What It Means for Part 108

I’ve been following Indiana’s push for test site designation since we covered their bid last month, and today the FAA made it official. But the real story isn’t just that we have two new test sites. It’s that the Trump administration is finally putting infrastructure behind the BVLOS promise, and the choices of locations tell us exactly what data they’re trying to collect.

• What: FAA announces Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and Indiana Economic Development Corporation as sites 8 and 9 in the UAS Test Site program
• Why it matters: First new test sites since 2016; these will generate safety data needed to finalize Part 108 BVLOS rule
• Timeline: Announced January 8, 2026; Part 108 final rule deadline is February 1, 2026
• The tribal angle: Choctaw Nation already holds the largest BVLOS waiver in America at 377 square miles

The announcement came directly from Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, with the FAA explicitly linking this to President Trump’s “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” Executive Order.

Why These Two Sites Were Chosen

The Choctaw Nation selection wasn’t luck. They’ve been building toward this since 2018 when they were selected as one of only 10 sites for the original UAS Integration Pilot Program. They were the first Native American tribal government to receive a Public Aircraft Operations Certificate of Authorization from the FAA. Their Emerging Aviation Technology Center near Redden, Oklahoma, sits on over 44,600 acres of remote, tribally owned land.

More importantly, they already operate under the largest BVLOS waiver in America: 377 square miles covering a 43-mile corridor that connects CNO medical clinics, the test facility, and various tribal facilities. That’s not a typo. They’ve been conducting true BVLOS operations without visual observers using ground-based detect-and-avoid technology from uAvionix.

“This Part 108 rule enables regulation that will allow the United States to have a path toward safe and normalized operations of drones,” James Grimsley, Executive Director of Advanced Technology Initiatives for the Choctaw Nation, said when the BVLOS NPRM was announced in August. “We applaud the FAA for bringing the Part 108 rule forward.”

Indiana brings something different to the table: military infrastructure and counter-UAS expertise. We reported last month on their Technology Readiness and Experimentation initiative at Camp Atterbury, where they demonstrated the ability to neutralize a 49-drone swarm with a single electromagnetic pulse. The Muscatatuck Urban Training Center offers restricted airspace for complex scenarios, and Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane continues expanding counter-UAS development.

The Part 108 Connection Most Coverage Misses

Here’s what other outlets aren’t connecting: the Part 108 BVLOS final rule deadline is February 1, 2026, per Trump’s June 2025 Executive Order. That’s less than a month away. These test sites won’t generate data in time to inform that rule, but they’re positioned to validate whatever the FAA publishes and generate the operational evidence needed to expand Part 108 approvals.

The proposed Part 108 rule is 650 pages of complexity. It introduces Automated Data Service Providers, requires site-by-site approvals, and as DJI warned, could effectively prohibit the use of non-U.S.-manufactured drones in BVLOS operations. Pilot Institute challenged the rule’s proposed elimination of BVLOS waivers under Part 107, warning it would ground thousands of businesses currently conducting legal BVLOS operations.

These test sites are where the FAA will prove whether Part 108 actually works in practice. The Choctaw Nation is already operating at scale. Indiana can test how Part 108 integrates with counter-UAS requirements that are becoming mandatory near critical infrastructure.

The Tribal Sovereignty Angle

The inclusion of a tribal nation is significant for reasons beyond the obvious. Tribal lands operate under different regulatory frameworks. The Choctaw Nation’s reservation covers 10,923 square miles in southeastern Oklahoma. They have direct authority over land use decisions that would require extensive permitting elsewhere.

“The Trump Administration is ensuring Indian country doesn’t get left behind in its efforts to bring in the Golden Age of Transportation,” said Assistant Secretary of Tribal Government Affairs James A. Crawford. “These new technologies can save lives on reservations with useful practices including the transportation of medical supplies to far reaching corners of these tribal lands.”

That medical delivery angle isn’t theoretical. The Choctaw Nation’s 377-square-mile BVLOS waiver specifically covers their medical clinics. They’re testing what happens when drones need to deliver supplies across dozens of miles of rural territory.

What This Means for Part 107 Pilots

If you’re a Part 107 operator, you won’t be flying at these test sites. They’re research facilities, not public airspace. But here’s why you should care:

The data from these sites will directly inform how the FAA evaluates BVLOS waiver applications. If you’re planning to submit a waiver, the safety cases proven at these facilities become your benchmark. The detect-and-avoid systems validated here become the standard you’ll need to meet.

The counter-UAS work at Indiana is particularly relevant given the FY2026 NDAA’s expansion of counter-drone authority. Understanding what detection and interdiction systems look like in practice helps commercial operators understand what triggers they’re trying to avoid.

DroneXL’s Take

Here’s what I expect: these test sites will become the proving ground for whatever Part 108 looks like in its final form. The Choctaw Nation’s existing BVLOS infrastructure means they can start generating validation data immediately. Indiana’s military integration focus signals that the FAA is serious about the security requirements that have been a sticking point in the BVLOS debate.

The fact that this is the first test site expansion in nearly a decade tells you how stagnant the program had become. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 authorized two new sites, and the Trump administration moved to fill those slots as part of its drone dominance push. Whether you agree with the broader policy direction or not, this is tangible infrastructure investment in drone integration.

I’m watching for two things: First, how quickly Choctaw Nation’s existing BVLOS operations inform Part 108 implementation guidance. Second, whether Indiana’s counter-UAS focus means the FAA is planning to integrate detection requirements into routine commercial approvals.

The test site program has been described as supporting “development, testing, and evaluation of public and civil unmanned aircraft and related technologies.” That’s bureaucratic language for “this is where the future of commercial drone operations gets proven or disproven.”

For commercial operators who’ve been waiting years for routine BVLOS to become reality, these designations are a concrete step. Not the final step, but a real one.

Are you planning to apply for a BVLOS waiver in 2026? Does the Part 108 proposal affect your business model? Let us know in the comments.