Oklahoma poised to gain from unmanned aircraft systems

In order for the economic benefits of UAS to be realized, the FAA must with no further delay begin the test site selection process and adhere to the overall integration timeline that Congress has estab-lished.

Fortunately, Oklahoma is represented in Congress by U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe and U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, champions for unmanned systems technology, who could be instrumental in keeping the process moving forward. With their help, and the continued efforts of Gov. Fallin, this technology is ready to take off — and bring Oklahoma's economy along with it.

Toscano is president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, a nonprofit organization devoted exclusively to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics.