Above photo: Nate Ernst, founder and president of Tactien.
15 April 2025
WarrenUAS, one of the top drone training and research programs in the country, has added to its deep ties in the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry through a new collaborative agreement with the The Tactien Group LLC, a leading aviation strategic advisory firm guiding clients worldwide.
“WarrenUAS is one of the best institutions in the country for unmanned system training and research, with a very effective strategic plan for staying abreast of the latest developments in this fast-growing industry,” said Nathan (Nate) A. Ernst, founder and president of Tactien. “Through this relationship I know that WarrenUAS can benefit from the decades of experience our team has with some of the most sophisticated technology in the field, particularly with larger unmanned systems. Meanwhile, we can gain insight through collaborative research projects like the ones Warren is already undertaking.”
Dr. Will Austin, president of Warren County Community College, who has been deeply involved in the development of WarrenUAS on the campus, said the collaboration with Tactien adds a new dimension to the program’s expanding offerings.
“We have built what I believe is one of the best academic institutions for unmanned systems and now are looking to expand our programming through this relationship with Nate and the Tactien team, which has a solid reputation in the industry as a leader in the operation of even more sophisticated equipment in challenging environments,” Austin said.
The agreement with Tactien comes as Warren has brought on Ed Celiano, one of the nation’s leading experts in large-scale, complex UAS, and the past executive director of the New Jersey Unmanned Aviation Systems Test Site.
He recently joined the experts at WarrenUAS as a consultant and instructor in the safe planning and operations of large UAS within the National Airspace System. His unmanned systems background began at a firm supplying class two and three intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance systems to the Department of Defense and has spanned years in related industry segments.
Ernst explained that the majority of his firm’s work involves integrating small and large UAS along with manned aircraft technologies in support of critical infrastructure, particularly in the utility sector. Celiano, meanwhile brings to Warren extensive expertise and connections in the defense industry.
Ernst has extensive experience with UAS, beginning in 2011 when, in the industry’s infancy, he founded his own drone services company. Since that time, he has been responsible for unmanned aircraft deployments weighing as much as 300 pounds as well as helicopter and airplane operations over some of the largest and most complex infrastructure both in the US and abroad.
His team includes aviation experts with specific focuses that support the greater picture of Tactien’s mission, providing unbiased strategies for integrating airborne technology for infrastructure. Tactien works with utility operators to understand where airborne technology is of value to them and then works backwards to develop a full-system solution.
He is a much-sought-after speaker on issues related to aviation, presenting at national and international conferences, and has been a key advocate for remote sensing where aircraft at considerable heights can gather detailed information on land.
“I’m interested in the cutting-edge work WarrenUAS is doing in areas such as the use of UAS in precision agriculture, a sector where the college has developed a specific department to do research and train students. There are so many areas where an academic institution like Warren Community College can explore the application of this technology – through research and in the training of its students. Graduates will be equipped to enter the many careers that are opening in this industry, or pursue more training, and will understand the latest realities about the technology.”
He added that his firm’s work, which involves connecting clients with the appropriate aviation firms to efficiently and effectively meet their needs, has provided him and his team with unique insight on the technology – its capabilities and limitations – and the direction of the industry.
“We’re strategic assemblers. We help companies and institutions understand UAS for what it really is. Rather than being biased towards one manufacturer or service provider, we provide pragmatic perspectives, not just regarding what technology offers today, but what the industry will offer tomorrow,” Ernst said. “We then work with clients to take various pieces of industry and develop a future-proofed bespoke solution.”
He said the firm’s role is to “validate through tough questions”.
“The keynote sessions, marketing collateral, and performance claims are enticing, but we want to ask questions about things that are not normally talked about,” he said.
The questions could include: How well does your solution perform under certain situations? What do your relationships look like with your suppliers? How does your solution perform in the field compared to your published specifications? What can you tell me about the process improvements you’ve made over time? May we meet your development team?
As an “assembler”, Ernst said, the firm is not wed to one type of aircraft, technology, or provider, but keeps a consistent pulse on the best technology and bring it to their customer when the best solution calls for it, he said.
“In this role we understand the difference between what works and what doesn’t work as well as is claimed. The roadmap to – and direction of – the UAS industry is different for every sector, particularly with larger systems, bigger payloads and more sophisticated technology.
Tactien’s clients include:
- Utility companies – electric water, oil and gas
- Infrastructure manufacturers – the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of critical infrastructure components in the electric, solar, and transportation (including electric transmission structures, solar panel assemblies and roadway structures).
- Aviation service providers – helicopter-based powerline construction, airborne vegetative management, RF-detection for arcing, leaking and tracking and remote sensing (UAS, helicopter, & fixed-wing).
- Aircraft manufacturers – UAS
- Software as a Service companies – asset management, predictive analytics and inspection services.
The five-year-old WarrenUAS program is considered by many industry leaders as the best UAS educational institution in the country, now located in two new facilities where its students have access to more than 100 UAS systems worth over $5-million and the latest technology for programming and maintaining the equipment.
It has a close relationship with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, sharing research and training opportunities and creating a pathway for students to get advanced-level degrees in UAS.
It is now training a steady stream of graduates, who often make more than $100,000 as a starting salary. Graduates are working in fields ranging from rail line and transit inspection, delivery services, automating buildings, drone light show companies, and several industries from real estate photography to conducting environmental and waterway health studies for a large utility.
Warren has hired faculty specifically to work with students on drone maintenance to build a pathway for them to become maintenance experts in the fast-growing field and in precision agriculture to train students and gather and latest research in use of robotics and drones in agriculture. Austin and his team are also planning for development of WarrenUAS as a “hardware accelerator or technology incubator” for startup companies in the field and a center for research and development for the industry.
“This partnership is the next logical step for our college’s program. To work with one of the best firms in the nation conducting large scale advanced drone operations can only serve to continue to distinguish our graduates from those flying Phantoms in test prep classes,” Austin said. “The WarrenUAS program is designed with aviation at its core, and Tactien is one of the leading aviation service providers, successfully integrating unmanned systems technology into its services. Knowing that our faculty and students will have an opportunity to work with these experts only ensures that WarrenUAS remains a cutting-edge enterprise,” concluded Dr. Austin.
