{"id":13862,"date":"2026-07-16T15:30:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T15:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/?p=13862"},"modified":"2026-07-16T15:30:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T15:30:38","slug":"chippewa-county-drone-project-successfully-demonstrates-advanced-digital-airspace-infrastructure-for-commercial-and-public-safety-operations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/2026\/07\/16\/chippewa-county-drone-project-successfully-demonstrates-advanced-digital-airspace-infrastructure-for-commercial-and-public-safety-operations\/","title":{"rendered":"Chippewa County Drone Project Successfully Demonstrates Advanced Digital Airspace Infrastructure for Commercial and Public Safety Operations"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Year-long initiative culminates in successful commercial activities showcasing FAA-approved Uncrewed Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM), integrated airspace awareness, and near-border drone operations<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Near-Border Innovation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Demonstrated integrated UTM and Counter-Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) digital services supporting commercial drone operations along the U.S.-Canada border.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Complex Airspace Operations:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Coordinated approvals with the FAA, NAV Canada, Chippewa County International Airport, and the Kinross Correctional Facility.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Public-Private Partnership:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> United government, industry, academia, utilities, and volunteer partners to demonstrate a complete digital drone ecosystem.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>CHIPPEWA COUNTY, Mich.,<\/b><b> JULY 15, 2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013\u00a0 ANRA Technologies, a global leader in unified airspace and mission management solutions, together with the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) and a coalition of industry, utility, aviation, research, and technology partners, today announced the successful completion of the live demonstration phase of the Chippewa County Drone Project. The milestone concludes a 12-month initiative funded through Michigan&#8217;s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conducted throughout the week of June 15 to 18, the demonstrations showcased how digital airspace infrastructure can safely support advanced Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations in operationally complex environments. The project positions Chippewa County as an emerging regional hub for commercial, public safety, critical infrastructure, and near-border drone operations across Michigan&#8217;s Upper Peninsula.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The demonstration brought together multiple partners to showcase real-world commercial and public sector drone applications. ANRA provided the FAA-approved UAS Traffic Management (UTM) platform and Single Integrated Operational Picture (SIOP) for airspace coordination and situational awareness. Censys Technologies conducted infrastructure inspection flights, while Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI) supported aerial inspections of the Tower of History and railroad research, highlighting multiple inspection use cases.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cloverland Electric Cooperative enabled utility inspection demonstrations at its St. Marys Falls Hydropower Plant. Lighthouse Avionics and Guardian RF deployed complementary optical and radio frequency detection technologies at both the Kinross Correctional Facility and the hydropower site, demonstrating how cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft can be monitored within a shared operational picture through ANRA\u2019s SIOP platform.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RIIS LLC conducted flight operations around the Kinross Correctional Facility, enabling detection, identification, and tracking of aircraft and demonstrating how security facilities can improve awareness of authorized and unauthorized drone activity. The Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation and Precision Approach coordinated regional stakeholder engagement and overall project implementation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A key project milestone included securing the regulatory approvals required to conduct UAS operations in one of Michigan\u2019s most complex flight environments. Flight activities near the Kinross Correctional Facility were conducted with the approval of the facility\u2019s Warden and required close coordination with the FAA and NAV Canada due to the site\u2019s proximity to Chippewa County International Airport and the U.S.\u2013Canada border. The effort demonstrated how correctional authorities, airport stakeholders, U.S. and Canadian aviation regulators, and industry partners can collaborate to safely enable advanced drone operations in sensitive, highly regulated, near border environments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The project established a new model for advanced drone operations by integrating UTM and Counter UAS (C-UAS) situational awareness to support commercial missions along an international border. Demonstration flights were conducted adjacent to the drone no fly zone protecting the Soo Locks, showing how a shared digital airspace can coordinate authorized operations while providing real-time awareness of unauthorized or unknown aircraft. By fusing cooperative flight data with RF and optical sensing into a Common Operating Picture, authorities responsible for protecting the Soo Locks could distinguish between approved operators and unknown aircraft, enabling more informed security decisions without disrupting legitimate commercial activity. The project demonstrated how commercial drone operations and critical infrastructure security can coexist within a unified digital ecosystem, improving both efficiency and public safety.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A key measure of success was the participation of volunteer industry partners who contributed time, expertise, equipment, and facilities without direct funding. Cloverland Electric Cooperative, Lighthouse Avionics, and Guardian RF joined the initiative independently, reinforcing industry confidence in Chippewa County as an emerging hub for advanced drone operations and strengthening the overall demonstration ecosystem.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;This project demonstrated how digital airspace infrastructure can safely support advanced drone operations in a complex operational environment,&#8221; said Amit Ganjoo, Founder and CEO of ANRA Technologies. &#8220;Successfully deploying ANRA\u2019s interoperable digital services for UTM and integrated airspace awareness with our partners is yet another illustration of how we prevent vendor lock-in by enabling all commercial operations while enhancing security around critical infrastructure.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;This initiative demonstrates that Chippewa County has the partnerships, infrastructure, and vision to become a regional leader in advanced drone operations,&#8221; said Chris Olson, President of the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation. &#8220;This project moved beyond research to demonstrate commercially viable drone operations in a real-world environment. By bringing together technology innovators, infrastructure operators, public agencies, and private industry, we&#8217;ve created a foundation for future investment, new business opportunities, workforce development, and long-term economic growth across the region.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The successful demonstration establishes a commercially proven foundation for expanding advanced drone operations throughout the region. By validating both the technology and public-private partnership model, the project creates opportunities to attract investment, support high-skilled jobs, enable new commercial services, strengthen public safety capabilities, and accelerate Michigan\u2019s advanced air mobility ecosystem. Chippewa County is well-positioned to serve as a regional hub for innovation, testing, and commercial drone operations.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-13862 gallery-columns-4 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/2026\/07\/16\/chippewa-county-drone-project-successfully-demonstrates-advanced-digital-airspace-infrastructure-for-commercial-and-public-safety-operations\/siop-2\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SIOP-2-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SIOP-2-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SIOP-2-720x720.png 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/2026\/07\/16\/chippewa-county-drone-project-successfully-demonstrates-advanced-digital-airspace-infrastructure-for-commercial-and-public-safety-operations\/screenshot-2026-07-15-154547\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-15-154547-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-15-154547-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-15-154547-720x720.png 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/2026\/07\/16\/chippewa-county-drone-project-successfully-demonstrates-advanced-digital-airspace-infrastructure-for-commercial-and-public-safety-operations\/20260617_102900-2-1\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/20260617_102900-2-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/20260617_102900-2-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/20260617_102900-2-1-720x720.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/2026\/07\/16\/chippewa-county-drone-project-successfully-demonstrates-advanced-digital-airspace-infrastructure-for-commercial-and-public-safety-operations\/plant-longshot-2-2\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Plant-longshot-2-2-150x150.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Plant-longshot-2-2-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Plant-longshot-2-2-720x720.jpeg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<blockquote>\n<h3><b>Partner Quotes<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><b>Censys Technologies. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;This project was a great exercise in demonstrating how advanced UAS operations will take place in a Part 108 world composed of ADSPs and BVLOS..&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Michigan Tech Research Institute. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;This initiative provided an outstanding opportunity to combine applied research with operational demonstrations, validating how advanced drone technologies can support infrastructure assessment and transportation research.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Cloverland Electric Cooperative. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Utility inspection remains one of the strongest commercial applications for drones. This project demonstrated how advanced airspace coordination can improve operational efficiency while maintaining safety around critical infrastructure.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Lighthouse Avionics. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Integrating optical sensing into a shared operational picture demonstrated how visual surveillance technologies complement digital airspace management to improve overall situational awareness.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Guardian RF. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Combining RF detection with digital airspace management provides infrastructure operators with greater awareness of both participating and unknown aircraft operating nearby.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>RIIS LLC. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Flying representative operational missions around critical infrastructure allowed the team to validate how cooperative flight operations and surveillance technologies work together to improve operational awareness.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Precision Approach. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Strong stakeholder coordination was fundamental to the success of this project. Bringing together public and private organizations demonstrated how collaborative planning accelerates the deployment of advanced drone technologies.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>About the Project<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Funded through OFME&#8217;s Michigan Mobility Funding Platform, the Chippewa County Drone Project is helping establish Michigan&#8217;s Upper Peninsula as a regional center for advanced drone operations. The project demonstrated a repeatable model for deploying digital airspace infrastructure in rural and near-border environments while supporting future commercial, public safety, critical infrastructure, and cross-border drone operations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The successful completion of the project provides a foundation for expanding FAA-approved digital airspace services throughout Michigan while demonstrating how strategic public-private partnerships can accelerate the adoption of advanced mobility technologies, attract additional private-sector investment, and strengthen economic development.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis project demonstrates how advanced air mobility technologies can safely support critical infrastructure, strengthen public safety and solve real-world challenges,\u201d said Justine Johnson, Michigan&#8217;s Chief Mobility Officer. \u201cThe collaboration between government, industry and academia highlights the partnerships needed to accelerate advanced air mobility deployment while reinforcing Michigan&#8217;s leadership in developing and testing these technologies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About ANRA Technologies. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ANRA Technologies is a leading provider of airspace management solutions for uncrewed and crewed aircraft. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in the UK, Estonia, Dubai, and India, the company\u2019s platforms support flight planning, UAS Traffic Management (UTM), mission management, operations centers, and advanced air mobility. ANRA was awarded the FAA\u2019s first Letter of Acceptance for a non-vertically integrated UTM Service Supplier to provide Strategic Coordination Services and is the only airspace management company certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency as a U-space Service Provider. With a focus on safety, efficiency, interoperability, and scalability, ANRA Technologies continues to enable the future of autonomous flight. For more information, visit www.anratechnologies.com.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation advances economic growth, infrastructure development, innovation, and investment throughout Michigan&#8217;s eastern Upper Peninsula. The organization supports strategic initiatives involving aviation, mobility, logistics, manufacturing, and technology development to strengthen regional economic competitiveness. https:\/\/www.chippewacountyedc.com\/<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About Cloverland Electric Cooperative. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cloverland Electric Cooperative is a member regulated electric cooperative that provides electric service across Michigan&#8217;s eastern Upper Peninsula and continues to explore innovative technologies that improve infrastructure reliability, operational efficiency, and service delivery for the rural communities it serves. https:\/\/www.cloverland.com\/<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About Lighthouse Avionics. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lighthouse Avionics develops advanced optical surveillance and situational awareness technologies supporting drone operations, infrastructure protection, and operational monitoring applications. https:\/\/lighthouseavionics.com\/<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About Guardian RF. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guardian RF specializes in radio frequency-based drone detection and airspace awareness technologies designed to support infrastructure protection, operational security, and advanced drone monitoring capabilities with low-cost and low-SWaP sensors that can be deployed and online in minutes. https:\/\/www.guardianrf.com\/<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About Michigan Tech Research Institute. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michigan Tech Research Institute is a leader in applied research and advanced sensing technologies supporting autonomous systems, environmental monitoring, remote sensing, transportation research, and infrastructure analysis. https:\/\/www.mtu.edu\/mtri\/<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About Censys Technologies. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Censys Technologies develops advanced long-range drone systems and operational technologies designed to support scalable aerial monitoring, infrastructure inspection, and Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations. https:\/\/censystech.com\/<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About Precision Approach.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Precision Approach supports advanced aviation integration, operational planning, public-private partnerships, and technology deployment initiatives focused on expanding safe and scalable autonomous operations. https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/precision-approach-llc-michigan\/<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Year-long initiative culminates in successful commercial activities showcasing FAA-approved Uncrewed Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM), integrated airspace awareness, and near-border drone operations Near-Border Innovation: Demonstrated integrated UTM and Counter-Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) digital services supporting commercial drone operations along the U.S.-Canada border. Complex Airspace Operations: Coordinated approvals with the FAA, NAV Canada, Chippewa County International [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":13871,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[106,822,820,821,81,785,626,817,514,49],"class_list":["post-13862","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-room","tag-bvlos","tag-chippewa","tag-counteruas","tag-digitalairspace","tag-drones","tag-michigan","tag-mmx","tag-siop","tag-uas","tag-utm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13862"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13862\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13864,"href":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13862\/revisions\/13864"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}