Vigilant Aerospace Systems was in North Dakota this week testing their GroundAware GA9120 Long-Range Radar at Casselton Airport. with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS). The field work included collaboration with NPUASTS Executive Director Nick Flom, Chris Theisen, Trevor Wood, and Research Institute for Autonomous Systems (RIAS) Director Mark Askelson. The testing focused on evaluating long-range radar performance in an airport environment relevant to aircraft detection, tracking, and broader airspace awareness workflows.
The airport testing reflects Vigilant Aerospace’s ongoing work to validate surveillance and traffic-awareness technologies in real-world aviation settings. Field evaluations with regional UAS and autonomy partners help demonstrate how long-range sensing can support safer uncrewed aircraft operations in shared airspace, particularly in environments where early aircraft detection and clear traffic awareness are important to mission planning and safety decision-making. Casselton Airport, also identified as Casselton Robert Miller Regional Airport, is a public-use airport serving the Casselton area west of Fargo.
About Northern Plains UAS Test Site
The Northern Plains UAS Test Site is North Dakota’s Federal Aviation Administration-designated UAS test site. The organization supports uncrewed aircraft research, testing, and integration activities, including work tied to statewide BVLOS infrastructure and broader national airspace system integration efforts.
About the Research Institute for Autonomous Systems
The Research Institute for Autonomous Systems (RIAS) at the University of North Dakota integrates the resources of the North Dakota University System to advance work in unmanned and autonomous systems. The institute supports research, infrastructure, and multidisciplinary collaboration across areas including autonomous platforms, application data, supply chain, cybersecurity, and policy.
Vigilant Aerospace is the leading developer of multi-sensor detect-and-avoid and airspace management software for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS or drones). The company’s product, FlightHorizon, is based on two NASA patents and uses data from multiple sources to display a real-time picture of the air traffic around a UAS and to provide automatic avoidance maneuvers to prevent collisions. The software is designed to meet industry technical standards, to provide automatic safety and to allow UAS to safely fly beyond the sight of the pilot. The software has won multiple industry awards and the company has had contracts and users at NASA, the FAA, the U.S. Department of Defense and with a variety of drone development programs. Visit our website at www.VigilantAerospace.com