June 5 – GRAND FORKS – During a chat on Tuesday, David Alexander, president of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, expressed his appreciation for Grand Forks and North Dakota as a whole for his role in the company.
General Atomics is a manufacturer of military unmanned aerial vehicles and operates two hangars at GrandSky Aviation Park, one since 2016 and the other since
August 2023
. Alexander said things would have been different for the company if it hadn’t expanded into North Dakota.
“We couldn’t have done it without expanding here,” he said. “What we have here is super important.”
Alexander’s chat was part of the first Future Forum event hosted by the Greater North Dakota Chamber (GNDC), a business advocacy organization, in celebration of the chamber’s 100th anniversary. The event was held at the Minnkota Power Cooperative and included conversations about healthcare, education, technology, energy, agriculture and the future of business. The chat alongside Alexander was moderated by GNDC CEO and President, Arik Spencer.
The conversation with General Atomics also follows the company’s trajectory
recent action to join
the North Dakota Unmanned Aircraft Systems Council.
General Atomics is primarily based in San Diego, California, Alexander said, and has 78 locations around the world. Its main customers are the U.S. Air Force, Army and Marine Corps, and Alexander said the company hopes to work with the Navy. The international aspect has also taken off and the training of crews and pilots is increasing. The company is known for affordable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aviation, and counterterrorism has been a major focus since 9/11.
“If you’re Adam West, it’s hard to get different acting jobs because everyone sees you as Batman,” Alexander said. “So everyone saw us as counterterrorism planes.”
General Atomics’ recent work has been on new sensors that can see 100 miles. When they are all defined, they create a common operating picture. Using artificial intelligence, strange things – like a ship acting strangely – can be detected.
Alexander also spoke of a deeper relationship with Grand Forks. The airspace available here has made it a more viable area for training, such as testing at high latitudes and in cold climates. The company has close ties to UND, he said, and Grand Forks has opportunities in unmanned aircraft training that are useful to General Atomics. Local support has also been strong for the company, including support from elected officials like Sen. John Hoeven, Sen. Kevin Cramer and Rep. Kelly Armstrong, he said.
Local advances in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have included
a contract
between the Grand Forks County Commission and the United States Department of Defense for UAS testing, development and research at GrandSky.
The first task order
approved in May, is part of Project ULTRA (logistics, traffic, research and UAS autonomy), and will study how UAS can deliver military payloads.
Asked about how General Atomics fosters innovation and retains talent, Alexander talked about continuity with leaders and regularly meeting employees to brainstorm new ideas and update the company’s five-year roadmap, continually looking at General Atomics’ future trajectory. . He said keeping good employees involves giving them interesting things to do and providing them with a mission they believe in. He also gave advice on how companies can engage more with universities, particularly through strong internship programs.
“If they’re good and you want them back, before they leave, put an offer on their hand,” he said.
