Photo By Airman Emma Funderburk | Brig. Gen. Micah Fesler, Air National Guard advisor to the commander, Air Combat...... read more read more
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GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. – The 319th Reconnaissance Wing celebrated the opening of the Point Defense Battle Lab’s permanent facility during a ribbon cutting ceremony April 9, 2026.
The PDBL is the 319th RW’s fourth mission and is charged with developing tactics, techniques and procedures to defend all stateside Air Force installations against aerial threats while exercising existing counter small unmanned aerial system technologies.
“The primary goal of the Air Combat Command’s Battle lab is to develop the play book, the systems and the capabilities that will allow us to defend against s-UAS hostility, ” said Brig. Gen. Micah Fesler, Air National Guard advisor to the commander, Air Combat Command. “What has been accomplished by the PDBL is fighting excellence in its purest form.”
ACC selected Grand Forks AFB to host the PDBL in October of 2025, and selected the 184th Wing, Kansas Air National Guard to support the program. The selection of the base was in part due to the 319th RW’s existing RQ-4 Global Hawk mission, a remotely piloted platform, and their existing partnerships with UAS industry and education.
“Since their activation in October, the Battle Lab has executed five exercises, evaluated a multitude of systems and continues to move at the speed of necessity to collaborate with our civilian and total force partners to exercise potential solutions for point defense,” said Col. Ronaldo Champion, PDBL director and 319th Mission Support Group commander.
The newly designated PDBL facility offers further permanence to the mission and expands the team’s ability to plan and conduct exercises aimed at evaluating existing C-sUAS technologies.
“You can have the right team, but if there isn’t a place to work then how will you accomplish anything,” said Fesler. “Grand Forks has a unique aerospace opportunity, the support of local partners, advocacy from civilian leaders and the state and local initiatives have made North Dakota a national center for remotely piloted aircraft.”
With the support of the 184th Wing, the PDBL will continue to plan and execute exercises to evaluate existing C-sUAS technologies, train sUAS operators to provide offensive and defensive capabilities for readiness exercises and inspections and develop the TTPs required to maintain tactical superiority in an increasingly dynamic environment.
“Thank you to the airmen of 319th Reconnaissance Wing who are working at the speed of necessity,” said Col. Alfred Rosales, 319th Reconnaissance Wing commander. “We are not just deterring aggression, we are not just defending the homeland — we are winning!”
C-sUAS and sUAS vendors interested in working with the PBDL can find more information on their website https://www.grandforks.af.mil/Point-Defense-Battle-Lab/
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.10.2026 18:03 |
| Story ID: | 562498 |
| Location: | NORTH DAKOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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