A northern Michigan defense center is hosting a U.S. Navy military exercise off Lake Huron through Friday, July 24, the Michigan Department of Military and Veteran Affairs announced on Monday, July 13.
The exercise, conducted at the National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC), includes experimentation with manned and unmanned drones throughout the Great Lakes, on the ground and in the air.
Additionally, military personnel will also be working with tripod-mounted communications and radar equipment.
Officials say they hope the experiments will help improve maneuver and resilience capabilities for service members.
Radio frequencies involved in the testing will not interfere with other frequencies or electronic communications in the area, which includes Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay Island, Middle Island and Rockport State Park, officials said.
“All these unmanned platforms will have manned vessels in the vicinity for control and safety. If members of the public see vessels in the water or unmanned airborne systems, please do not attempt to approach, touch or interfere with them,” the July 13 news release said.
The collaborative exercise also includes other wartime organizations, including the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Crane Division.
Last year, 50 companies representing more than 65 experiments descended on Alpena to test new and emerging technology.
The NADWC was chosen earlier this year by the federal government for drone testing after months of requests from state officials.
The facility is the country’s largest joint training range east of the Mississippi River and hosts the annual Northern Strike Exercise, a National Guard Bureau program.
NADWC has nearly 148,000 acres of training space at the Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center and 17,000 square miles of special-use military airspace at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center. It provides a drone testing ground for both the Department of War, formerly known as the Department of Defense, and the private sector.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Military drones on Lake Huron. What U.S. Navy is doing near Alpena
Reporting by Jalen Williams, USA TODAY NETWORK / Detroit Free Press
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By Jalen Williams, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
