Army Expands Commercial Drone Testing to Two Indiana Military Sites

The U.S. Army is opening two Indiana military installations to private companies for the testing of drone and counter-drone technology. Acting Army Secretary Adam R. Telle announced on Wednesday, October 28, that Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center and Muscatatuck Training Center have been added to the Army’s Permissive Test Range Expansion Initiative.

The expansion, announced during the fifth annual Northeast Indiana Defense Summit in Fort Wayne, establishes a partnership between the Indiana National Guard and the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC). The program aims to reduce administrative hurdles and barriers that typically slow commercial access to military ranges, allowing developers to research and harden systems in environments not usually available in the private sector.

Specialized Testing Environments

The two selected sites provide distinct capabilities for defense innovation:

Army Expands Commercial Drone Testing to Two Indiana Military Sites — Photo: stripes.com

Camp Atterbury: Offers more than 34,000 acres of secure space and restricted airspace that extends up to 40,000 feet. In May 2026, instructors and soldiers from the 76th Mobile Brigade Combat Team used the site to operate a Switchblade 600 loitering munition system via laptop.
Muscatatuck Training Center: Provides 1,000 acres featuring configurable urban infrastructure used to test counter-drone systems and drone tracking and navigation.

Gen. Christopher LaNeve, Vice Chief of Staff and Acting Chief of Staff of the Army, stated that these ranges allow developers to “test what actually works,” noting that the initiative is intended to “cut the time between a commercial system and a Soldier who can use it.”

Integration into National Defense Strategy

The move is part of a broader Pentagon effort to replenish stockpiles and streamline procurement. This follows an August announcement that opened five other ranges for critical weapons technology testing, including sites in Utah, Arizona, Mississippi, Michigan, and Morocco. Those locations included Dugway Proving Ground, West Cibola Range at Yuma Proving Ground, Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, and the Multidomain Training Area range complex in Morocco.

Maj. Gen. Pat Gaydon, commanding general of ATEC, described the expansion as a “win-win for national security and defense innovation.” Maj. Gen. Larry Muennich, adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard, added that the designation would expand Indiana’s role in emerging technologies and connect defense companies with military operators.

Army Integrates Concierge Team to Coordinate Vendor Access

Commercial vendors can request access to the Indiana sites through the Army’s test range portal at testrange.army.mil. Because of capacity constraints, the Army noted that access to specific testing windows or locations is not guaranteed.

To manage these requests, ATEC has integrated a private industry concierge team with the Indiana National Guard to coordinate requirements and schedules for the vendors.

While the Army has opened the reservation portal, it remains unknown which specific commercial companies have already applied or which particular technologies are currently prioritized for the first wave of testing.