Harford County Airport Designated As A Drone Center Of Excellence

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — The Harford County Airport has been designated a "drone center of excellence" in recognition of advancements in drone research, development, testing and production by two on-site companies, SURVICE Engineering and Malloy Aeronautics.

“Drones have unleashed amazing capabilities for delivering payloads and sending real-time information to users in commercial operations, public safety and our nation’s defense,” Harford County Executive Cassilly said at a presentation Oct. 23. “I am excited that the next generation of drone technologies is being developed right here in Harford County and proud to recognize these efforts.”

SURVICE Engineering, located at the airport since 2020, is a pioneer in drone research and development. The company’s team of engineers and scientists in its applied technology operation research drone technologies and applications and manage a certificate of authority at the airport issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. This authority allows drone flight testing across 120 acres up to a ceiling of 400 feet.

Malloy Aeronautics also is located at the airport and focuses on autonomous heavy-lift cargo drone production. SURVICE, using Malloy as a key subcontractor, was selected by the U.S. Navy to produce drones that provide autonomous logistics resupply capabilities for Marine Corps combat logistics battalions.