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The Army is opening military test ranges to private industry
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The service announced this month, including a Michigan site where companies can test drones
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and counter drone systems against electronic warfare conditions modeled after those in Ukraine
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Companies will be able to request range access even if they do not have an ongoing partnership with the government
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according to the release. The effort, the Army says, is designed to hasten the development and testing of drones
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counter drone systems, long-range fires, and cheap interceptors. The service said it is launching four ranges in the U.S. and one internationally
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A company with a good idea shouldn't need a team of lawyers and a program of record just to prove their equipment works, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said in the release
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The move comes as the Pentagon implements sweeping changes to speed up drone and counter-drone acquisition
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The Defense Department created the Joint Interagency Task Force 401, a unit charged with streamlining counter-drone efforts, which recently launched an online marketplace
