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Engineer Roger Powers asks committee for $3 million to seed Kansas UAS certification and testbed
Summary
Roger Powers detailed a plan to form a Kansas UAS association, partner with Kansas State and Wichita State, and requested $3,000,000 in FY2027 seed funding to stand up purple‑UAS certification, a multi‑class flying test bed and counter‑UAS testing to attract federal funds.
Roger Powers, who described himself as an industry researcher and association founder, asked the Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee for $3,000,000 in FY2027 to build a Kansas capability for certifying and testing unmanned aircraft systems.
Powers said the proposed nonprofit association has recruited Kansas State University and Wichita State University as members and advisers and plans three principal activities: a purple UAS certification program focused on supply‑chain security and cyber resilience, a three‑class flying test bed to enable beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight testing for heavier drones, and counter‑UAS testing to evaluate defenses for critical infrastructure. "We're gonna create 2,500 jobs and attract over a $100,000,000 of new expenditures in the state," Powers said, describing the request as seed funding intended to leverage federal grant opportunities.
Members asked how certification would operate and whether the association is primarily private industry. Powers answered that the certification would examine three elements — supply‑chain security, cyber resilience and mission effectiveness — and that the association is structured as a nonprofit with a governing board and an advisory board that includes university partners. He said the $3,000,000 would serve as the state's "skin in the game" to pursue larger federal contracts, including an opportunity with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and other agencies.
Several committee members pressed for governance and transparency details, asked which university officials could verify K‑State’s role, and requested the association’s board member list and advisory membership. Powers agreed to provide those names and to report regularly to the committee if seed funding is awarded.
Ending: The committee collected Powers’ materials and asked for follow‑up documentation, including the association’s board and advisory lists and K‑State contacts. No appropriation vote was taken at the hearing.
