WAHPETON (KFGO-AM) -- The first unmanned aircraft manufactured in North Dakota has been unveiled in Wahpeton.
Altavian has partnered with ComDel Innovation to manufacture unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, in Wahpeton.
The Altavian Nova F6500 is the first plane that has rolled off the assembly line. While many unmanned aircrafts are used in overseas combat, these will be used to monitor agriculture and livestock.
"It's hard to get the kind of repetition that farmers need over the fields to get the real answers that they're trying to get," Damon Wolfe of Altavian said.
There are several UAS sites across the country but officials say there are several unique qualities about North Dakota that make it the best. "We have agriculture, a lot of infrastructure, pipelines, natural resource management," Wolfe said.
The growing industry is expected to create at least 10-20 jobs in Wahpeton.
The first North Dakota-made aircraft will be donated to the Fargo Air Museum.