Army drone ranges will expand to two Indiana National Guard installations under a testing-access program announced on Oct. 28. Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center and Muscatatuck Training Center have been designated sites for commercial developers of drones and counter-drone systems.
The U.S. Army described the change as part of its Permissive Test Range Expansion Initiative, designed to offer industry better access to realistic military environments. The designation creates a testing opportunity, not an announcement that a particular company’s drone has passed military qualification.
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Army Drone Ranges Add Two Different Environments
The Army’s public account describes Camp Atterbury as offering more than 34,000 acres and a restricted-airspace corridor extending to 40,000 feet. Those characteristics can support flight activity that is difficult to arrange near populated civilian airfields.
Muscatatuck, by contrast, is an approximately 1,000-acre training site with configurable urban buildings and other structures. The Army said that environment can support navigation, tracking and counter-drone scenarios that resemble built-up areas rather than an open test range.
Designating both facilities gives developers different physical settings in one state. The announcement does not mean each vendor can immediately fly without coordination. Military range access, safety planning and applicable airspace requirements remain part of any actual test program.
What Industry Is Expected to Test
The initiative targets uncrewed aircraft, counter-uncrewed systems and related defense technologies. An operator might test navigation under complicated conditions while another examines how sensors identify or follow an aerial target. The Army’s description also points to the importance of evaluating systems in realistic environments.
Army leaders said the initiative is intended to reduce administrative obstacles that can delay commercial testing. Faster access could help manufacturers collect evidence before seeking defense customers, but a faster trial does not itself change standards for safety, performance or military procurement.
The program is separate from a missile production contract. In related TAD defense coverage, a hypersonic weapon received a defined Air Force production award. The Indiana news concerns range access for development, not a purchase decision or a disclosed investment in any particular drone.
How the Designation May Affect Development
For small technology firms, access to suitable test airspace can be a constraint even after a prototype is available. Facilities with security, established range procedures and varied terrain can help developers assess performance before attempting more complex trials.
The Army and Indiana National Guard described the arrangement as a partnership involving the Army Test and Evaluation Command. The Oct. 28 announcement did not list accepted vendors, launch a competitive acquisition or identify the first company scheduled to test under the new designation.
Results will depend on the details of each trial, including safety outcomes and independently recorded performance. The number of designated sites is not a count of certified drones or deployed counter-drone units. That distinction protects the record from overstating a policy announcement as a fielded capability.
Indiana’s facilities also offer different opportunities for evaluating systems that depend on navigation and communications. An open range can support different flight patterns from a constructed urban training center. The Army has not released a uniform scoring system that would let the public compare future vendor results from the two facilities on one common scale.
FAQ: Army drone ranges
Which locations are the Army drone ranges in Indiana?
Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center and Muscatatuck Training Center were designated for expanded commercial testing.
Do private companies get unrestricted flying access?
No. The announcement expands testing opportunities but does not waive range safety or airspace coordination requirements.
Has the Army bought a drone through this announcement?
The designation does not identify a contract award or a specific vendor system selected for service.
Looking Ahead
The next practical milestone will be documented commercial test activity at the newly designated Army drone ranges. The Army did not announce an inaugural vendor test schedule or a procurement quantity linked to the two Indiana sites.
Sources
Senator Jim Banks announcement
