Gov. Whitmer Joins Secretary of the Army at Announcement of Camp Grayling Designation as Premier Test Range for U.S. Army

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 7, 2026
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Gov. Whitmer Joins Secretary of the Army at Announcement of Camp Grayling Designation as Premier Test Range for U.S. Army

LANSING, Mich.-Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll to celebrate the U.S. Army's announcement that Camp Grayling in Michigan has been selected to be one of four premier stateside military test ranges open to private industry for internal research, development, and rapid experimentation.

"With our talented workers, strong manufacturing ecosystem, and world-class military bases, Michigan is the best place in the world to innovate and build the future of drones," said Governor Whitmer. "I'm proud that Camp Grayling was selected for this initiative and excited to see how it will grow our economy, create good-paying jobs, and builds on Michigan's legacy of defense leadership. Let's keep working together to protect our national security and pioneer the future of defense."

"A company with a good idea shouldn't need a team of lawyers and a program of record just to prove their equipment works," said Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. "So we fixed that. One front door - testrange.army.mil - a real person to walk you in, and on the other side, everything the modern battlefield demands: contested airspace, degraded signals and the space to test at real scale."

"I am grateful to the Secretary of the Army for selecting Camp Grayling to help advance defense innovation and support the modernization of our military," said Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. "This designation will help streamline research, development and innovation opportunities for Michigan's defense industry, accelerate the delivery of emerging capabilities to the warfighter and further strengthen our partnership with the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command. We look forward to providing a realistic environment where government, industry and the military can work together to rapidly develop and evaluate the technologies that will shape the future battlefield."

Spearheaded by the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC), in close partnership with the Mississippi and Michigan National Guard and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), this initiative prioritizes commercial access to specialized environments ideal for testing drones, counter-drone technologies, long-range fires and low-cost interceptors.

The ranges designated for this effort include Dugway Proving Ground in Utah; West Cibola Range, a newly opened component of Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona; Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center in Mississippi; Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center in Michigan; and the Multidomain Training Area (MDTA) range complex, a component of the Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center (AMTEC), in Morocco.

To streamline access, the Army has launched a modern portal, testrange.army.mil, which serves as a digital "front door" for industry. Companies can easily request range time and will be paired with a dedicated concierge who will assist them through the scheduling processes. No prior U.S. government contract or existing federal relationship needed to submit a request.

In addition to standard testing, the Army will also host a special test event for private industry at Camp Grayling during the week of Sept. 13, 2026. This environment will mimic the contested electronic warfare conditions currently seen on the battlefield in Ukraine, offering industry a rare opportunity to harden their drone and counter-drone systems. The Army anticipates this opportunity will be repeated on a quarterly basis.

Growing Michigan's Defense Industry

Governor Whitmer has worked hard to grow Michigan's defense industry, create good-paying jobs, and build more cars, chips, drones, and batteries right here in Michigan.

• Secured new KC46 tanker and F-15EX fighter missions at Selfridge, protecting the base and growing Michigan's economy for years to come.
• Announced Michigan's NADWC was designated by the U.S. Department of War as a National Range for Deep Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) Training.
• Launched the Uncrewed Triple Challenge, a first-of-its-kind competition to drive innovation in autonomous drone technology.
• Established new Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation, enhancing Michigan's defense and aerospace ecosystem.
• Announced the release of Michigan's Defense and Aerospace Strategic Plan, which is designed to grow the state's defense and aerospace sectors, strengthen national security, and create high-paying jobs that support Michigan's economy.
• Established Michigan's Advanced Air Mobility Initiative, a whole-of-government strategy to grow our economy and advance uncrewed aerial systems. The initiative released its first report in December that charts opportunities in the path forward for drone innovation in Michigan.
• Announced a $50 million partnership to build Michigan's defense manufacturing workforce.

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