Contact: Emily Bell
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Website: www.droneports.net | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2025 |
DronePort Network Named Lead Designer and Integrator for Nation-Leading SAFE-T Initiative
Tulsa, OK - March 26, 2025 — DronePort Network (DPN), a pioneer at integrating autonomous systems infrastructure, has been awarded $3.6 million over five years to serve as the lead designer and integrator for the Secure Autonomy Feedback and Evaluation Testbed (SAFE-T) — a groundbreaking national project funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration as part of the Tulsa THETA Tech Hub.
SAFE-T, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is set to transform the future of secure and trustworthy autonomous systems by building the nation's most advanced and commercially available urban testbed. With its flexible architecture and real-world simulation environments, SAFE-T will accelerate the safe deployment and scalability of autonomous technologies.
As the technical lead, DPN will oversee procurement and deployment of critical infrastructure including aircraft tracking systems, cybersecurity monitoring, data fusion platforms, weather intelligence, detect-and-avoid capabilities, and UAS-specific IT systems. The company will also leverage its global network to provide insights and client referrals, helping SAFE-T maintain its edge in a rapidly evolving regulatory and technical landscape.
Early development will focus on building a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) airspace environment in the Tulsa metro area and providing that digital infrastructure data feed via a low integration data exchange allowing rapid scalability for commercial and testing autonomy customers. By establishing robust cybersecurity penetration testing and building upon the advanced capabilities of Skyway Range and Skyway36, SAFE-T will support companies, researchers, and regulators in validating complex multi-system operations, data integrity, threat mitigation, and public-private data sharing models.
“DronePort Network is proud to help lead the way in building an ecosystem where secure and trustworthy autonomy can scale safely,” said Craig Mahaney, CEO, DronePort Network. “Our team is honored to support this nationally significant project and to help ensure Tulsa continues to emerge as the epicenter of next-generation autonomous systems.”
SAFE-T is a core project within the Tulsa Hub for Equitable and Trustworthy Autonomy (THETA), uniting public, private, academic, and Tribal stakeholders to create a globally unique ecosystem for autonomy testing and commercialization.
Through its leadership role and multi-million-dollar award, DronePort Network is helping to advance national security priorities, support local economic development, and drive forward the next industrial revolution in autonomous air systems.
For more information, visit www.droneports.net or www.tramcluster.org.
About DronePort Network
DronePort Network is an emerging aerospace infrastructure development company focused on turnkey solutions that will allow communities to support the rapid scalability of drone technology. DronePort Network can provide a full infrastructuretechnology stack needed to safely integrate drone technology into your community’s everyday life. Our team of experts can help you develop a plan that will meet strict FAA requirements, gather industry partners to enhance your droneport project and bring inthe appropriate technology partners that can provide a reliable and efficient system.
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