MANASSAS, Va. – Senator Mark Warner visited the City of Manassas on Thursday, June 12, 2025, where he joined Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger, Vice Mayor Mark Wolfe, and City Council Members Ashley Hutson and Ralph Smith for a tour of RapidFlight, the city’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer. The visit highlighted RapidFlight’s role in national defense innovation and the city’s growing importance in advanced technology manufacturing.
The same day, Micron Technology, Inc. announced a major national investment plan totaling approximately $200 billion, including $150 billion in domestic memory manufacturing and $50 billion in research and development. The plan includes an expansion and modernization of Micron’s existing facility in Manassas, supported by a $275 million CHIPS Act direct funding award. Work at the Manassas site is expected to begin this year.
According to a press release shared by the City of Manassas to social media, Mayor Davis-Younger said Micron’s expansion represents more than an economic milestone, calling it a testament to the city’s partnership with the company and their shared vision for the future. She expressed gratitude for the investment, noting that it brings innovation, opportunity, and high-quality jobs while reinforcing Manassas as a hub for technology and long-term community benefit.
The press release also cited Micron Chairman, President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, who said the company’s memory manufacturing and R&D plans reflect its commitment to innovation and strengthening the domestic semiconductor industry. He said the $200 billion investment will help reinforce America’s technological leadership, create tens of thousands of jobs, and ensure a secure domestic supply of semiconductors. Mehrotra also acknowledged the support of President Trump, Secretary Lutnick, and other federal, state, and local partners.
Micron’s expanded production will include the onshoring of its 1-alpha DRAM chips, which are used across key sectors including automotive, aerospace, industrial automation, medical devices, and defense. Nationally, Micron plans to construct two high-volume fabs in Idaho, up to four in New York, and develop new technologies for integrating multiple memory and logic chips into one package. The company estimates these investments will generate approximately 90,000 direct and indirect jobs across the U.S.
The visit by Senator Warner to RapidFlight, which was previewed earlier this week during a virtual call between Mayor Davis-Younger and the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, underscores the city’s growing profile in defense and tech sectors. During that call, the mayor emphasized the importance of showing support at such events and said she makes it a point to personally welcome visitors who are investing time in Manassas.
The announcements mark a significant week for Manassas, positioning the city at the forefront of national efforts to grow high-tech manufacturing and defense-related innovation.
The visit, scheduled from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at RapidFlight’s headquarters, 9635 Center Street, will include a live interview with the senator and a Q&A session open to guests. The event is free and hosted in coordination with the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, city leaders, and RapidFlight executives.
Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger confirmed the visit during her June 11 virtual address to the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, where she provided a wide-ranging update on city projects, economic development, and veteran initiatives.
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RapidFlight has secured a contract worth up to $10 million from the U.S. Department of the Air Force's AFWERX Autonomy Prime program to develop the SPX, a customizable autonomous fixed-wing aircraft system. This partnership aims to accelerate the integration of autonomous technologies into Air Force programs, with RapidFlight providing design, development, testing, and training over a 36-month period, highlighting their innovative AgileAviation process to reduce development time and costs.
More in a press release:
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Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA 1), Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, visited RapidFlight, a Manassas-based designer and mass manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for the global defense industry, last week.
RapidFlight briefed Congressman Wittman on its capacity to disrupt the industry with cost-effective, mission-customizable drones that offer five times the range and endurance at a fraction of the cost of traditional small UAV systems. The company's approach, AgileAviation, boasts over 20 customizable UAV designs and a proprietary software-hardware stack aimed at ensuring U.S. competitiveness against overseas production, particularly from countries like China.
