Pictured above – The XTI TriFan 600 is a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft currently under development by XTI Aircraft Company, a company that has tested at Deseret UAS facilities.
The Utah Aerospace & Defense Association (UADA) and Deseret Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have announced that they are consolidating efforts to better collaborate and advocate on behalf of Utah’s aerospace and defense industry.
UADA will lead the organizations’ respective efforts going forward, with Deseret UAS being restructured as UADA’s newly created Advanced Aviation and Technology Committee (AATC). Shawn Milne, Deseret UAS board chair, will chair the AATC under the leadership of UADA President and CEO Aaron Starks.
“UADA and Deseret UAS’ shared vision to foster the world’s premier ecosystem for Utah’s aerospace and defense companies seamlessly and synergistically aligns, creating a unique opportunity for this collaborative partnership,” said UADA President and CEO Aaron Starks. “Together, we will advocate for policies, regulations, and research that directly support our members.”
“We whole-heartedly embrace a consolidation with UADA to keep Utah’s aerospace and defense industry at the forefront of the world’s technological innovations,” said Deseret UAS Chair Shawn Milne. “The United States did not have roads or a national interstate system when Henry Ford built the Model T. We will work proactively with UADA to support the uncrewed aerial vehicles and transportation systems that will be used for the roads of the future.”
Established in 2022, UADA is taking off literally and figuratively. The fast-growing organization boasts dozens of members both in the public and private sector, including Northrop Grumman, Fortem Technologies, Hexcel, the Utah System of Higher Education, the Utah Governor’s Office, and many more. The organization’s goal is simple: to ensure all companies in Utah’s aerospace and defense industry have the tools they need to succeed.
“Advanced air mobility is the way of the future and has the potential to fundamentally reshape our lives. UADA represents aerospace and defense companies making transformational innovations that are improving Utahns’ quality of life and leading to strong economic prosperity for decades to come,” said UADA Chair Robert C. O’Brien, co-founder and chairman of American Global Strategies. “Through this organizational consolidation and UADA’s efforts going forward, Utah will continue to be at the epicenter of making these innovations a reality.”
