Matt Larimer, March 5th 2026

Indiana Senator Todd Young, along with eight other senators, recently introduced the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act. According to Young’s website the bill was designed to, “streamline the Federal Aviation Administration’s type certification process for Advanced Air Mobility aircraft.”

Young is also quoted saying that, “Advanced Air Mobility platforms will revolutionize the American economy. The Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act is a crucial step to securing American drone dominance.”

While drones are typically small, unmanned aircraft used for photography, inspection, or delivery. Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is a broader term focusing on transporting people and cargo using vertical takeoff and landing vehicles in urban or regional areas.

In a social media post shared prior to the introduction of the legislation Young thanked the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce for, “sharing updates about Vigo County’s role in the future of drones and advanced air mobility.”

He went on to state that, “the Terre Haute area is important to our national security and is ready to help address our country’s national security challenges.” Representatives from Terre Haute, the Chamber of Commerce, and RJL Solutions were pictured with Young.

In an interview with WTHI about the legislation, Craig Maschino, director of the Terre Haute Regional Airport and Lieutenant Colonel / Intelligence officer with the Air Guard, stated that the airport wanted to use local rail assets to bring large scale drone manufacturing to the region.

According to the airport’s website, “the 181st Intelligence Wing brings hundreds of military men and women to Hulman Field for training exercises and other operations including: Geospatial Intelligence Analysis, Signals Analysis, and Support for U-2, Global Hawk, RQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper Aircraft.”