Electra Defense has received a $4.7m contract from the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance the development and evaluation of hybrid-electric aircraft technologies.
The award, made through the Air Force’s Innovative Capabilities Opening (ICO) mechanism, will fund a comprehensive programme that includes both ground and flight testing of Electra’s EL9 aircraft.
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According to Electra, the effort aims to deliver performance data on hybrid-electric propulsion and ultra-short take-off and landing (Ultra-STOL) capabilities, informing the Air Force’s assessment of next-generation air mobility platforms.
Activities will also explore how hybrid-electric concepts might expand operational access, enhance distributed logistics, and align with the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) framework.
The company stated that under the contract, technical evaluations will be conducted on the EL9’s propulsion system and overall operational effectiveness.
The testing campaign will involve ground trials and flight tests, including the evaluation of acoustic performance during battery-only operations, which could have implications for low-signature ingress and egress in special operations missions.
Electra Defense vice president and general manager Donn Yates said: “This award represents an important step in demonstrating how hybrid-electric aircraft technology can address some of the Air Force’s most pressing operational challenges.
“Power and propulsion are fundamental to unlocking new capabilities for military aviation. Through this effort, we’re moving to generate real-world aircraft performance data that will help the Air Force evaluate how these technologies can support more agile, distributed, and resilient operations.”
The current contract builds on Electra’s previous collaboration with the AFRL, which included an $85m Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) award in 2023 to support the development of its preproduction aircraft.
That partnership featured flight demonstrations and government-directed evaluations, most recently at AFRL’s Future Flag 25-3 exercise, where the company highlighted how Ultra-STOL aircraft could contribute to distributed military operations and mobile power supply.
Additional planned activities under the new contract will include modelling and simulation work to quantify the operational advantages of hybrid-electric ultra-STOL aircraft.
The focus areas include their ability to operate from diverse, limited-infrastructure sites, facilitate the rapid movement of personnel and cargo, and lessen dependence on established aviation support systems.
Electra stated that insights from the programme are intended to guide future Air Force technology development and acquisition strategies.
Yates added: “Future military operations will demand aircraft that can operate with greater flexibility, access more locations, and reduce the logistical burden on deployed forces. The combination of hybrid-electric power, distributed propulsion, and Ultra Short takeoff and landing capability offers a fundamentally discriminating approach to tactical mobility. This contract will help us quantify those advantages and demonstrate their potential value to the Air Force.”
