The only UAS Testing and Training Facility in the United States dedicated solely to the UAS marketplace is based in Oklahoma, and it is also the first state to offer the first university graduate degree in UAS at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
Oklahoma is the only location in the U.S. that offers restricted air space for commercial UAS testing, state officials said. State officials said Oklahoma also has become a major centre for Unmanned Aerial Systems, both for commercial and military applications.
Six Oklahoma aerospace companies and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce are sending representatives to the International Paris Air Show. The Oklahoma delegation will be led by Oklahoma Secretary of Science and Technology Stephen McKeever and Sandy Pratt, deputy director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Executives from six Oklahoma aerospace companies – American Airlines, M&M Manufacturing and Southwest United Industries Inc., all of Tulsa; ProFab, Oklahoma City; EnviroSystems of Seminole; and the Oklahoma State University Multispectral Lab in Ponca City, also will attend the air show in Paris.
McKeever said Oklahoma has the aerospace infrastructure and policies that make the state a destination for companies wishing to establish or expand operations. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase Oklahoma’s value proposition and the many business factors that make Oklahoma a top destination for the global aerospace industry,” McKeever said. “When companies considering expansion into North America evaluate the market options, they’ll find Oklahoma’s proposition and the differentiators that make our market unique, extremely compelling.”
Aerospace is one of the state’s largest industries, employing 143,000 people at 500 companies. Oklahoma has both the largest military maintenance, repair and overhaul operation at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City and the largest civilian MRO facility at American Airlines’ Maintenance & Engineering Center in Tulsa. The state is considered one of the seven major MRO centers in the world, industry officials say.
A study by the Oklahoma Aerospace Industry Partners has found the global MRO market is expected to grow from $45 billion in 2009 to more than $68 billion in 2019. “We’re targeting European and other global aerospace commercial and military companies because our industry assets and the incentives we offer make Oklahoma an extremely competitive investment destination,” said Pratt, the deputy commerce department director.
“When looking at what sets Oklahoma apart from other investment destinations, the differentiators are our state government’s willingness to work closely with the companies looking to invest and industry-related research and development activity.”
Source: Tulsa World