Perry County Plans USA Drone Port and National Unmanned R&D Center

Perry County’s business and economic-development pages describe a planned "USA Drone Port / National Unmanned Robotic Research and Development Center" as a central element of the county’s strategy for the Coal Fields Industrial Park and surrounding industrial sites. The county presents the initiative as part of an effort to repurpose existing industrial land and expand sector-focused development in Perry County.

The proposed facility title - USA Drone Port / National Unmanned Robotic Research and Development Center - appears on official county business materials that promote opportunities at the Coal Fields Industrial Park. County materials position the concept alongside other industrial sites in Perry County, indicating local government intent to link the center to available industrial acreage rather than to a single parcel alone.

Local economic planners have framed the drone port concept as an element of Perry County’s broader economic strategy for industrial redevelopment. The county’s economic-development pages place the center within a portfolio of projects intended to attract new investment to Coal Fields Industrial Park and adjacent properties, signaling a strategic pivot toward advanced manufacturing and unmanned systems as part of the county’s industrial mix.

The plan will intersect with federal and state regulatory frameworks governing unmanned aircraft and robotic systems if it proceeds. Because the center is described as a national research and development facility, the project as presented on county pages implies future coordination with agencies that regulate airspace, testing ranges, and research funding. That regulatory overlay will shape siting, operations, and the sequence of public approvals needed for work at Coal Fields Industrial Park.

Workforce and supply chain impacts are central to why the county emphasizes the project on business pages. By highlighting the USA Drone Port and R&D center in its economic pitch, Perry County signals an expectation that the project could draw contractors, research partners, and specialized technicians to Coal Fields Industrial Park and nearby industrial sites. The materials do not list specific employers, jobs, or investment totals, leaving those metrics to be determined through later planning and partner negotiations.

For Perry County officials and local stakeholders, the listing of the USA Drone Port / National Unmanned Robotic Research and Development Center on official business and economic-development pages marks a concrete policy direction. The county has positioned Coal Fields Industrial Park as the focal area for the initiative, and next steps will depend on formal project proposals, regulatory clearances, and negotiations with potential public and private partners. The presence of the center on county pages makes clear that unmanned systems are now part of Perry County’s stated economic development agenda.