On Tuesday, July 24, New York State Senator Joseph Griffo announced that Griffiss International Airport is set to receive $800,000 in state funding for UAS technology.

$500,000 of that funding will be used to transform a hangar at the airport into a year-round UAS experimentation environment known as a “Sky Dome,” which will support the development of UAS technologies to operate safely and securely in the National Air Space (NAS).

This funding is in addition to $450,000 that was previously announced, Griffo says.

The remaining $300,000 will be used for a UAS mobile operations center for the airport. The center, which will be equipped with flight operation and radio equipment, will give the airport “more flexibility when it comes to operational abilities,” according to Griffo.

“It is important that we continue to position ourselves to take advantage of any opportunities in emerging industries such as unmanned aerial systems,” Griffo says via WKTV NewsChannel 2.

“This funding will help us to do that by providing essential resources that will help with the development of drone technology in our region and will enhance Griffiss International Airport. It is my hope that we continue to make significant investments into developing this technology and our airport so that we can remain competitive with other sites across the country.”