General Atomics Aeronautical Systems opened a new remote operations center near Grand Forks, North Dakota after an October 30, 2026 ceremony at its local flight test site. MQ-9A aircraft under a contractor lease will be flown from there to support Africa Command for the U.S. Department of War. Shifting crews out of Africa cuts overseas staffing, trims yearly expenses by over 10 million dollars, and creates about 50 local jobs. Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota and CEO Linden Blue took part, with Hoeven's office helping locate the center in the state.