Army expands test range initiative with two Indiana sites, boosting commercial drone testing options

By Mike Brest

Published October 28, 2026 5:13pm ET Updated October 28, 2026 5:13pm ET

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Army expands test range initiative with two Indiana sites, boosting commercial drone testing options — A member of Harmattan flies a drone during exercise Falcon Peak at Cibola Range Location JERC (Joint Experimental Range Complex) Two, Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, Sept. 21, 2026. FALCON PEAK 26.2 is North American Aerospace Command and U.S. Northern Command's Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems experiment designed to demonstrate new technologies, expand focus on Low Collateral Defeat capabilities, enhance collaboration with mission partners, and provide developers with immediate feedback to accelerate the maturation of innovative capabilities with War Department-wide applicability. (Dept. of War photo by SSgt. Colten Tessness)

Army officials announced on Wednesday that it would allow commercial drone companies to use two additional facilities, both of which are in Indiana, to test their products more quickly as part of the Permissive Test Range Expansion Initiative.

During an event at the Northeast Indiana Defense Summit, Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle announced that Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center and Muscatatuck Training Center would join the list of facilities that private companies could request to use for their own testing.

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Army Defense Department of Defense (Department of War) Drones Indiana Military National Security