Integration Means Jobs, Oklahoma Governor Says

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Oklahoma City — The pending integration of unmanned aircraft into the National Airspace System will bring numerous jobs to Oklahoma and other states in the near future, and AUVSI brought that news to the state capitol building on 16 Jan.

Gov. Mary Fallin joined AUVSI President and CEO Michael Toscano at a press conference to discuss preliminary results of an AUVSI-sponsored study that forecasts more than 100,000 new jobs, many of them in manufacturing, across the country by 2025.

The study predicts that two of the hottest markets for unmanned aircraft will be in agriculture and public safety, and agriculture is one of the largest industries in the state of Oklahoma.

According to a preliminary draft of the report, Oklahoma stands to gain 600 new jobs in just the first three years after UAS are integrated, resulting in $57 million new economic activity.

“UAS represents one of the fastest growing segments of the aerospace industry, which already is an important part of the Oklahoma economy,” Fallin said. “We are taking the steps necessary to create an environment conducive to job creation and investment that also positions Oklahoma as a national leader in the advancement of UAS technology.”

One of those steps is the creation of the state’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Council in 2011, headed by Dr. Stephen McKeever, the Oklahoma secretary of science and technology, who also attended the press conference.

The press conference included two models from AeroVironment, including the company’s three-pound Wasp fixed-wing aircraft and Qube, a 5.5-pound model aimed at the law enforcement and first responder market.

Oklahoma is one of numerous states bidding for a UAS test site. The FAA is expected to soon announce the six states that will be able to set up such a site, although the awards will come with no federal money.

Oklahoma is already home to a test operation run by the Department of Homeland Security, which is evaluating small UAS for first responder use under the Robotic Aircraft for Public Safety program, or RAPS, which is taking place this week at a facility on the boundary of Fort Sill that is operated by the Oklahoma State University — University Multispectral Laboratories.