Fort Drum breaks ground on unmanned aircraft system project

Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·2 min read

May 13—FORT DRUM — Base and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials conducted a ground-breaking ceremony Wednesday for the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade's new $21.7 million unmanned aircraft system at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.

Col. Jeffery Lucas, Fort Drum garrison commander, said in a prepared statement that the event marked not just the beginning of a new construction project but the end of a long, collaborative process.

"A major construction project like this only happens after years of strategic planning, environmental studies, funding requests and justifications, structural planning, contract writing, bidding and rewarding," he said. "It's a long road to get here, and I'm incredibly proud of the many on the staff in the garrison whose ongoing work empowers readiness here every day in countless ways."

The 26,000-square-foot facility will be home to a portion of 10th CAB's Shadow Platoons, and it's designed to enhance the unit's ability to perform maintenance on its tactical reconnaissance systems. The project also includes an extension to the existing runway.

Reinhard Koenig, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regional business director for North Atlantic Division, said the focus of this project moving forward is to deliver a quality facility on time, within budget and in a safe manner.

"Ultimately, what this is all about is providing a capability to the soldiers and to the nation, and it is certainly a thrill to be a part of that process," he said.

During his remarks, Col. Travis McIntosh, 10th CAB commander, said that the new hangar meets all of the criteria of the Army chief of staff's top three priorities of people, modernization and readiness. Col. McIntosh said that the new hangar will ensure that UAS operators and maintainers have what they need to maintain mission readiness.

"We require facilities like this to continue year-round capabilities that we can launch, as a power projection platform, for the benefit of the U.S. Army," he said. "We do that here at Fort Drum because of the facilities you are able to provide."

The project was announced last September with funding totaling about $21.7 million through the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. The contract was awarded to Structural Associates Inc. of East Syracuse, and construction is scheduled to be completed in October 2022.