Salina Airport authority outlines radar, vertiport plans to support drone testing

The Salina Airport Authority told the Committee on Transportation on Jan. 20 that it expects to install a ground‑based, beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight (BVLOS) radar system to support military and commercial unmanned aircraft testing and is moving forward on a vertiport conversion plan.

Peter Miller, executive director of the Salina Airport Authority, said the airport’s radar contracts are in process and that a system could be operational by "middle of this summer." He said the radar would help tie Salina’s class D airspace to the Smoky Hill Bombing Range (RS‑3601) and help Fort Riley and other range users operate unmanned systems without having to chase aircraft with helicopters.

Miller also said the authority completed a 2025 feasibility study on converting a heliport to a vertiport to support testing, certification and proof‑of‑concept operations requested by drone and UAS companies. "If we can put one radar system in at Salina and kill two birds with one stone, even better," Miller said, emphasizing placement studies to minimize coverage gaps and to produce measurable ROI for taxpayers.

Committee members asked about the potential remaining surveillance gap between Salina and Fort Riley; Miller estimated a possible 20–25 mile gap depending on siting and said more study is required. He also highlighted collaboration with K‑State Salina and Wichita State on maintenance, monitoring and scheduling of radar assets and the importance of coordinating radar systems across airports to provide a uniform operational picture.

The airport authority presentation contained operational timelines and engineering work to date but did not include a specific legislative funding request during the meeting; Miller said staff will return with more detailed siting studies and cost analyses when available.