U.S. Air Force Embraces Electric Future with eVTOL Technology, Transforming Military Mobility

July 2, 2024

Just over a century after the Wright brothers’ historic flight, the spirit of innovation soared once more. This time ushering in a new era of electric aviation.

In 2021, the United States Air Force (USAF) embarked on a new era of aviation, conducting the first government-sponsored, remotely piloted flight of an electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft Kittyhawk Heaviside. In October 2023, Beta Technologies joined the air revolution, deploying its electric aircraft ALIA for testing with the Air Force. These milestones are expected to propel us towards a future where electric aviation electrifies military operations, and also overall air mobility.

Recent advancements in electric mobility and advanced autonomous systems are paving the way for transition into the next age of air mobility propelled by electric and hybrid VTOL aircraft technology.


How Air Force’s Agility Prime Program is Fueling the Future of Air Mobility

The U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX Agility Prime program is spearheading innovation in eVTOL technology. The Air Force Work Project (AFWERX), the innovation unit of USAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, strives to cultivate an environment where innovative technology integrates with the expertise of air force, space, and cyberspace personnel to address defense challenges and expedite technology transition to operational capability.

Agility Prime is the Air Force’s transformative vertical lift program that is partnering with the electric vertical takeoff and land (eVTOL) commercial industry to develop a new class of air mobility systems and advance the domestic industrial base for an aerospace market projected to be worth $1 trillion by 2040. This is the only all-electric passenger aircraft program in the U.S. Government.

Launched in 2020, Agility Prime has so far awarded contracts to 23 contracts to 15 companies totaling more than $100 million. In addition to Beta, several companies working with the service to produce VTOL aircraft, include Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, Lift Aircraft, Moog, Wisk, Elroy Air, and others. Partnering with these companies and startups, the program aims to introduce zero-emission aviation to the military along with other benefits, including a quiet noise profile and the cost savings to operate and maintain its fleet and making flight operations more environmentally friendly than conventional aircraft that rely on fossil fuels.

An urban air mobility technology simulator facility has also been established at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport to foster collaboration among Beta Technologies, Joby Aviation, and Loft Aircraft, accelerating advancements in eVTOL and UAS technologies in the region.


Key Agility Prime Milestones

• December 2021 — First USAF remotely piloted eVTOL flight with Kittyhawk’s Heaviside aircraft.

• March 2022 — USAF pilots conduct first-ever crewed eVTOL flight with BETA aircraft.

• July 2022 — Wes Ogden became the first U.S. Army aviator to fly an electric aircraft.

• November 2022 — Two airmen remotely piloted the HEXA eVTOL developed by Lift.


Military Applications of eVTOL

The eVTOL aircraft has diverse applications for the service, including personnel movement, cargo transportation, recovery missions, rapid aircraft maintenance, urban mobility, disaster response, firefighting, humanitarian aid efforts, medical evacuation, logistics support, base operations and support, communications relay, missile field support, emergency response, test support, training, range, support, and search and rescue.

“The Agility Prime efforts reduce the risk for technology, regulatory, and financial aspects of the eVTOL industry, increasing the pace of development, and paving the way for early operations of eVTOL aircraft for both military and commercial applications” - Agility Prime lead, Maj. John Tekell.

Agility Prime identifies and fast-tracks emerging dual-use technologies, focusing on transformative vertical lift aircraft, including electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) systems in the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector. These aircraft use distributed electric or hybrid propulsion for crewed, optionally crewed, or autonomous missions. Agility Prime minimizes technical risk using government assets to instill confidence in the technology, attract investors, and expedite domestic commercialization while addressing regulatory risks through early airworthiness reviews and collaborating with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NASA, and others.


Key Players in the Advanced Air Mobility Race and Partnerships with USAF

The leading U.S. eVTOL companies like Joby, Archer Aviation, and Beta Technologies are racing for FAA certification to commence commercial flights, aiming to launch services by 2025. While the FAA targets robust air taxi operations by 2028, these companies seek defense contracts, given the FAA’s lack of jurisdiction over military aircraft to prove flight capability.

The USAF is working with these companies testing, experimenting with, and evaluating the new technology for potential future national defense applications. This article details recent pivotal collaborations between the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and leading eVTOL manufacturers BETA Technologies, Joby Aviation, and Archer Aviation.


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