The Pentagon's Joint Interagency Task Force 401 has signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of North Dakota and the Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site to evaluate counter-drone technologies, DRONELIFE reported.
The agreement designates the university as a clearinghouse for the military task force, helping identify and assess emerging counter-drone systems for armed forces across the United States. Under the arrangement, the university and the test site could assess equipment before inclusion in the task force's C-UAS Marketplace, a central procurement platform connecting approved suppliers with military buyers.
Mark Askelson, the university's associate vice president for research for national security, said the memorandum will act as a roadmap for future collaboration and noted that the university aims to "sift through the different technologies that companies bring to the table" to determine which are ready. Victor Meza, marketing manager at the test site, said the organisation will provide testing expertise and help clarify which technologies would be valuable to the armed forces.
Financial terms have not been finalised, though Askelson said he expects a funding mechanism will be established to support research staff.
