A decision announced Friday by the Department of Defense will allow the Unmanned Aerial System program to remain at Fort Rucker.

According to information from U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, UAS programs will remain with the services that use them.

The Air Force had sought to become the executive agency for these medium and high altitude programs.

"I was pleased to learn today that the Defense Department has recognized the importance of ensuring that our troops in the field have access to UAV support when and where they need it," Sessions said. "I am proud that the state of Alabama plays such a vital role in providing our troops with the UAVs they need to fight terrorism and ensure our national security here at home. It makes sense that the men and women who directly depend on UAV support for their mission’s success have a say in how those systems are designed and operated. The decision is a significant step forward for the potential of joint interoperability."

Fort Rucker is home to the Army Unmanned Aerial System Center of Excellence. Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville does much of the techincal work on Army UASs.

There are more than 1,500 UASs employed in Iraq and Afghanistan, making 14,000 flights per month.