Ondas is expanding its defense drone footprint in the Midwest with the opening of a new training, testing, and flight operations facility in Springfield, Ohio.
The company officially unveiled the site this week at the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE), where it will be operated by Ondas Sentinel, the autonomous defense division that now includes DZYNE Technologies following its acquisition by Ondas in July.
The new location will serve as Ondas Sentinel’s Midwest hub for long-endurance drone operations, bringing operator training, simulation, mission planning, testing, demonstrations, and live flight operations together under one roof. Company executives say having every stage of the workflow in one place will help speed up training while giving military and government customers a firsthand look at its aircraft in action.
The facility will primarily support training and mission operations for ULTRA (pictured above), Ondas’ long-endurance drone originally developed through an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) rapid development program, along with Stratollite, the company’s high-altitude stratospheric flight platform.
Location, we’re told, played a major role in the decision. The Springfield campus sits just minutes from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, AFRL, and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, while also being adjacent to the Ohio Air National Guard’s 178th Wing. That puts Ondas close to many of the organizations shaping the future of military aviation and autonomous systems.
Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ondas Sentinel chief technology officer Matt McCue said the integrated campus offers “something few others can match,” with ground school, simulation, mission planning, and live flight operations all happening in one pipeline. He added that the setup should improve operational readiness while making it easier for customers to evaluate the company’s long-endurance drone technology.
McCue also highlighted ULTRA as an example of government-backed innovation, noting that early Air Force investment helped turn the aircraft from a rapid research program into a platform now moving toward potential production.
The project also received support from regional organizations including JobsOhio, Clark County, and the Dayton Development Coalition, while local universities and colleges are expected to help build the future workforce. For Ondas, the new facility is more than another office; it is designed to become a long-term training and operational base as demand for autonomous defense drones continues to grow.
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