FAA Reauthorization

Floor Speech

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I would like to speak this morning in support of amendment No. 32. This amendment introduces new language to section 320 of the Federal Aviation Administration's authorization bill concerning unmanned aerial systems. It has been offered by Senator Ensign, Senator Conrad, and myself.

It calls for the FAA to develop a process to integrate unmanned aerial systems--unmanned aerial vehicles and remotely piloted aircraft--into the National Airspace System.

We have all seen on television and read in the media about the remarkable role unmanned aerial vehicles and remotely piloted aircraft are playing overseas in the security of our Nation in the war on terror. They achieve military objectives without putting our men and women in uniform in harm's way.

Unmanned aerial systems will continue to play that vital role in our Nation's security abroad, but they are also poised to play a big role here at home in other important areas as well--areas such as enhancing our ability to patrol our borders and secure vital infrastructure, fight crime, detect wildfires, provide valuable crop data for our farmers, and respond to emergencies such as floods and fires.

I can give you a practical and personal example of their value. Two years ago, when my home State, along with our neighbor to the east, Minnesota, was battling flooding in the Red River Valley--many of you throughout the country saw this on television--Predator aircraft on loan from Customs and Border Patrol gave us real-time data on the status of ice jams and overland flooding all along the river and made a real difference in helping us to fight those floods and protect our citizens.

That vital information enabled both States to deploy resources in a timely and efficient manner and made a real difference for the people of North Dakota and Minnesota and throughout the region. Just a few years ago, that would have been the stuff of science fiction, a vision of the future. But today it is reality, and we can do much more.

In fact, unmanned aerial systems are about just that--they are about the future of aviation technology in America, and I am proud to say our State of North Dakota is playing an important role in that endeavor.

The Grand Forks Air Force Base in northeastern North Dakota is already home to Predator B aircraft that fly missions for Customs and Border Protection, and it will soon be home to the Global Hawk as well. Right now, overseas, Predator missions are being operated by our North Dakota Air Guard in Fargo, ND.

The Grand Forks Air Force Base is also a partner with the State's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence and UND--the University of North Dakota--School of Aerospace. These programs provide access to state-of-the-art training and technologies for the base.

Our Center of Excellence operates up to nine unmanned aircraft and is in the process of installing UAS simulators and training programs to prepare a generation of young pilots for this rapidly growing field.

The program is designed to combine the visionary thinking of researchers with the practical energy of entrepreneurs and businesses. In fact, the commercial applications of unmanned aircraft and the opportunities for America's aviation industry are enormous.

UAV spending will more than double over the next decade, from current worldwide UAV expenditures of $4.9 billion annually to $11.5 billion annually, totaling just over $80 billion for the next 10 years, according to a 2010 Teal Group market study.

Here and abroad, our Nation has led the way in this breakthrough technology. But we need to do more. We need to seize the opportunity, and this amendment provides our opportunity to not only maintain but build on that leadership position.

This amendment will authorize the FAA to set up pilot projects in the United States that will develop a plan for these aircraft to fly safely either concurrently or in layered air zones in our Nation's skies.

We need them to develop air traffic requirements, as well as certification and flight standards, for unmanned aerial systems to fly in the national airspace.

We are already flying UAVs in airspace all over the world. Now we need to open the skies for them right here at home to make our Nation more secure, our communities safer, our economy more dynamic, and create jobs and opportunity throughout our country. If we do not, you can be sure other nations will. The goal is to make UAVs, with all their remarkable capabilities, a fully functioning, fully empowered component of America's aviation system.

American industry and ingenuity can continue to lead the way. They can continue to lead the way forward in the world of aviation, but we must provide the environment that enables our aviation industry to do it right here at home. This amendment will help us do that. I strongly urge support for this amendment.

I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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