Michigan has a rare opportunity to lead a new industry ― one where our assets are genuinely hard to replicate anywhere else in the country. The Governor’s Advanced Aerial Mobility (AAM) initiative, and Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) in particular, is where the stars have aligned for Michigan.
The recent designation of the National All-Domain Warfare Center (NADWC) at Camp Grayling as a National UAS Test Site, paired with targeted investment in air traffic management infrastructure, creates the conditions for an innovative movement at a statewide scale. Michigan can lead ― and benefit from ― what will be one of the most explosive industries of the next decade. But only if we act now.
The case for Michigan could not be stronger. Early UAS development naturally gravitated toward remote areas, and some of those locations have a head start. But they’re approaching a ceiling: remoteness is fine for testing aircraft, not for building the businesses needed in this next phase. What the industry requires now is a mix of rural and urban airspace, combined with real customers ready to prove profitable use cases. Michigan has both.
Aerial logistics will drive early commercial viability, and Michigan already leads in manufacturing and logistics ― the exact foundation this industry needs. Agriculture, medical delivery, inspections and first responder support are compelling use cases, but they’ll take time to become self-sustaining. Michigan’s interconnected manufacturing ecosystem is the near-term opportunity for a profitable air logistics enterprise, and it’s waiting to be unlocked.
Michigan, the original Arsenal of Democracy, built its legacy on ground mobility. The NADWC test site designation extends that legacy into the air. It brings a committed federal partner and federal investment to the table ― a critical advantage for companies navigating the early funding challenges of commercial development. Combined with Michigan’s underutilized military-designated airspace, this creates a purpose-built environment for innovation that no other state can easily replicate.
Uncrewed aircraft are coming. The only question left is who shapes the industry ― and who benefits. The technology is largely ready; the remaining hurdles are policy and the infrastructure needed to manage operations safely. The FAA is writing those rules now. This new era will enable UAS to operate Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), unlocking commercial potential at scale. Michigan’s job is to position itself for where the industry is headed, not where it stands today.
This won’t look like the unregulated “drone” activity we see today. It will be a professional, credentialed, managed aviation industry, governed like crewed aviation. Getting there will require clear operational policy and the monitoring infrastructure to manage traffic safely. We may need interim legislation, such as SHIELD provisions, to address bad actors in the near term, but that is a stopgap. The real work is building the permanent regulatory and physical infrastructure that will give the public confidence that these are “aircraft,” not “drones,” managed professionally in the national airspace.
That’s precisely why Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer, Justine Johnson, is right to push the state forward on behalf of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The FAA has identified Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) ― the radar and communication networks that “see” and direct UAS operations ― as the key enabler for this industry. Building that infrastructure outward from Grayling is how Michigan claims its position. The corridor to Alpena, developed for the state’s Triple Challenge exercise, is already underway. Extending that network to Traverse City and Battle Creek are the logical next steps in building a statewide commercial and defense capability.
Winning this industry will require genuine partnership between federal and state agencies, universities and trade schools, and the companies building new business models around UAS. The talent is already here to design, build and grow this sector. What’s needed is alignment around a shared plan and the political will to execute it.
Nowhere else are the elements better aligned to professionalize and commercialize this industry. Michigan can strengthen manufacturing, build the workforce and advance national defense ― just as it has before. But it will take bipartisan commitment to look beyond short-term skirmishes and build something that endures.
It starts with targeted infrastructure investment now, followed by a coordinated statewide approach. The payoff could change Michigan’s economic trajectory for decades. Delay means ceding ground to states that won’t wait.
With Xponential 2026, the premier global uncrewed systems conference, coming to Detroit this month, Michigan’s moment is here. We urge state legislators to invest now in the key enablers that will unlock BVLOS operations centered on the NADWC at Camp Grayling.
Lt. Gen. Jack Bergman (U.S. Marine Corps, ret.) is a U.S. Congressman representing Michigan’s 1st House District.
Brig. Gen. Scott Dennis (U.S. Air Force, ret.) served as Director of Air Operations for HQ/USAF, where he led the team that created the unmanned career field and conducted the initial coordination with the FAA to fly Predators in the National Airspace. He lives in Elk Rapids.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: The future of aviation could be built in Michigan | Opinion
Reporting by Jack Bergman and Scott Dennis / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
