Interest in drone technologies surges again as the Federal Legislature has introduced a bill to facilitate drone development at a military base.
The bill, titled the SkyFoundry Act of 2025, will authorize a drone production and innovation facility at the Red River Army Depot (RRAD), enabling the site to develop, produce and field drones from the Department of Defense. The facility may also later expand to incorporate associated energetics and autonomous systems.
Once completed, estimates conclude that the production facility will be able to produce approximately 1 million unmanned aircraft systems annually. The innovation facility will operate as the program’s research, development and testing center.
Operating under a Government-Owned, Government-Operated Contractor Augmented (GOGO/CA) model, RRAD will be encouraged to use public-private partnerships to accelerate development, production and implementation. The program will predominantly consist of both military and civilian personnel collaborating to enhance efficiency.
The RRAD provides ample real estate to support the establishment of the facilities, with at least two different structures chosen to house the innovation facility and production facility. The bill also provides authorization to renovate, expand or build additional facilities for the program using available funds.
The establishment of the production and innovation facility will be a critical facet for placing the U.S. as a global leader in drone technologies. By moving production to solely domestic venues, the nation’s drone program will be able to circumvent reliance on foreign supply chains and streamline mass production of unmanned aircraft systems and related technologies.
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