GRAND FORKS (AP) - Officials say as many as 400 Air Force pilots a year will go through a training program for unmanned aerial systems, and it will involve the University of North Dakota.

The learning software will be developed by UND and four private sector partners as part of a $50 million Air Force contract awarded to the UND Center of Excellence and global defense companies.

UND and its partners were among eight teams vying for the contract.