This story originally appeared on dallasinnovates.com
The Texas A&M University System has been chosen by the federal government to lead a new Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies (CAAT). The CAAT laboratory will be located at Texas A&M Fort Worth, with testing locations sited across the Lone Star State.
Texas A&M Fort Worth is a Tier One research campus under construction in downtown Fort Worth that aims to have “a transformative impact locally and regionally.” The awarding of this federal advanced aviation lab is just one sign that goal is coming to fruition.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy made the announcement about the center, which will be led by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, leveraging the Autonomy Research Institute’s extensive experience as an FAA-designated UAS System Test Site.
The CAAT will leverage the region’s robust aviation sector and strong university network, Texas A&M said, noting that the center is a result of a provision authored by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. That act authorized the creation of a federal research center focused on innovative aviation technologies, including drones, air taxis, and supersonic and hypersonic aircraft.
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