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If Industry Reaches Price Point for Unmanned Autonomous Fighter, ‘I’ll Be Asking for It,’ LaPlante Says

While the U.S. Air Force has not disclosed what its leaders are discussing on the future or lack thereof of the manned Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, DoD acquisition chief William LaPlante is opening the door to its replacement by unmanned, autonomous drones.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has estimated the unit cost of the manned NGAD to be several hundred million dollars and the unit cost of accompanying, unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) to be about one-third that of the Lockheed Martin F-35.

“If you can produce something at a price point [that’s] a third of the F-35 that will work effectively without the man being able to be in it, I’ll be asking for it so it really depends on how this whole concept flows together,” LaPlante told reporters on Aug. 7 at NDIA’s emerging technologies for defense conference in Washington, D.C. “It’s not really a technology issue. It’s more of a CONOPs and expense issue.”

Such a CCA unit cost goal would be about $30 million.

The Air Force has kept most NGAD/CCA work details under wraps as “classified.”

A key question will be whether an unmanned NGAD will be able to execute complex missions. Air Force leaders have said that CCAs may focus on one mission and that the first will be air-to-air.

Kendall has said that preparing the Air Force’s fiscal 2026 program objective memorandum was a heavy lift, due to big ticket items, including the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider future stealth bomber, NGAD/CCA, and a Nunn-McCurdy breach on the Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel future ICBM.

“What we keep hearing from inside the Air Force at very high levels is that the threat environment has evolved significantly, particularly in the last year and a half or so,” the Teal Group said last month on manned NGAD in a letter to readers of the group’s World Military & Civil Aircraft Briefing. “So, the airframe they thought they wanted, essentially a big fighter, may not be adequate to today’s task. The NGAD airframe contractors built good responses to the specifications they were given. But the Air Force is deciding if those are really the specifications they’re going to need going forward. They’ve had that Roy Scheider moment when he saw the size of the shark and said you’re going to need a bigger boat.”

Cost, however, may prevent the Air Force from moving forward on a bigger manned NGAD design.

But, as LaPlante suggested, drones may not be the panacea.

“Removing the pilot from an aircraft design and the associated necessary equipment has (in principle) the potential to reduce the costs of an aircraft, but it is no guarantee the aircraft will be cheap,” according to a new Center for Strategic and International Studies study on CCA. “The Global Hawk drone, for example, has a unit cost that can be $130 million or higher, mostly because of the exquisite sensor payloads it carries and the low production volume.”

In addition, advocates of a manned NGAD have pointed to recent drone losses in Ukraine and the Middle East–drones either disabled by electronic warfare or shot down.

In April, the Air Force said that it had chosen privately-held drone makers, General Atomics and Anduril, to build air vehicles in the first round of CCA. The companies beat defense industry heavyweights Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, though these companies and others are free to bid on future CCA increments.

The Air Force said last week that it recently awarded classified contracts to five vendors–a mix of traditional defense companies and non-marquee ones–for the autonomy piece of CCA.

A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.

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C-17 Flies with Alternative GPS Magnetic Navigation as Prime PNT System

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane by Boeing recently test flew the Silicon Valley-based SandboxAQ‘s Magnetic Navigation (MagNav) system–leveraging quantum magnetometers and artificial intelligence–as the aircraft’s prime alternative to GPS, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., said last week.

“Although the technology had been demonstrated before, the groundbreaking event was the first instance where MagNav was the primary method of navigation in flight,” the base said. “This world-first demonstration is a huge step toward developing Assured Position, Navigation, and Timing [PNT], which will be crucial in a near-peer fight.”

Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google and executive chairman of its parent, Alphabet, Inc., heads SandboxAQ’s board of directors.

In January last year, SandboxAQ received a Direct-to-Phase-II Small Business Innovation Research contract, worth up to $1.25 million, from the Air Force’s AFWERX innovation arm to research quantum navigation.

SandboxAQ said on Aug. 16 that the Air Force has extended last year’s SBIR contract “to explore additional configurations of the core AQNav architecture, including a pod-based attachment, for deployment on a wider range of aircraft platforms, including unmanned aerial systems.”

Joint Base Charleston said last week that SandboxAQ “initially ran flight testing” from Travis AFB, Calif., and then collaborated with the base’s “Palmetto Spark Lab at Mobility Guardian 2023, where SandboxAQ was gathering in-flight magnetic data to train their AI model.”

The recent C-17 demonstration “was flown by the 16th Airlift Squadron, with individuals from SandboxAQ, Palmetto Spark, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), and AFWERX,” Joint Base Charleston said last week. “Of the five segments flown, three reached RNP1.0 performance, meaning the aircraft was able to calculate its position to within one nautical mile. The AQNav user interface was generating true headings to the next waypoint in real time, allowing the pilots to accurately navigate the aircraft.

“To date, SandboxAQ’s AQNav technology has logged more than 200 flight hours and more than 40 sorties across multiple regions on four different aircraft types, ranging in size from single-engine planes to large military transport aircraft,” the company said on Aug. 16.

While DoD’s Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Oversight Council has focused on moving ahead on the anti-jamming, anti-spoofing, encrypted GPS M-code signal, the Pentagon should prioritize GPS alternatives, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has said.

“Should GPS be unavailable for any reason – terrain, weather, technical failure or active adversary action – the loss of the system would be deleterious to the success of any operation,” Air Force Materiel Command said earlier this year. “This is particularly true for small unmanned systems, which typically rely on GPS as their only navigation solution due to Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWAP-C) constraints and do not have the luxury of onboard human operators as contingency.”

A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.

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GE Aerospace, Airbus Complete First Stage of Research on Next-Gen Helicopter Propulsion – AIN, July 25

GE Aerospace finished the first stage of research and joint study with Airbus Helicopters on a next-generation helicopter propulsion system, AIN reported. The initial stage was focused on foundational research as they looked to lay the groundwork for later development phases. They next plan to focus on detailed designs and component efficiencies to create a propulsion system with sustainability objectives like significantly reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

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U.S. Air Force Backs Wright’s Work On Rechargeable Thermal Batteries – AIN, Aug. 7

Wright Electric recently won an Air Force contract to develop high-power output rechargeable batteries, AIN reported. The company won a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to examine options for using its new thermal batteries to power multi-rotor uncrewed air vehicles. The company previously received funding via the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E Propel-1K program to develop lightweight batteries for transportation. If the Afwerz project moves on to Phase 2, the company would focus on battery testing and evaluation.

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CCA Autonomy Contracts Awarded to Five Vendors

DAYTON, Ohio–The U.S. Air Force in the last few months awarded classified contracts to five vendors–a mix of traditional defense companies and non-marquee ones–for the autonomy piece of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), service leaders said here on July 29 in a forum with reporters during the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s (AFLCMC) annual Life Cycle Industry Days’ gathering of Air Force and industry leaders.

Col. Timothy Helfrich, the director of AFLCMC’s Agile Development Office (ADO) and the senior materiel leader for AFLCMC’s advanced aircraft division, said that officials were wary of disclosing the recent five awardees, as the proposed autonomy systems are the “guts” of CCA.

The ADO has about 350 employees here at Wright-Patterson AFB, of whom 100 work on CCA.

Air Force Brig. Gen. Jason Voorheis, the program executive officer for fighters and advanced aircraft, said on July 29 that the disclosure of the two air vehicle CCA awardees, in contrast to the non-disclosure of the five CCA autonomy awardees, came as the service wants to be transparent and balance such transparency with security concerns.

Voorheis said that the goal will be to carry forward as many competitors as possible before a CCA, Increment 1 production decision in 2026.

Air Force Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the head of Air Combat Command (ACC) at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., said this month that he believes that the service will field CCA “pretty quick, and I think they’re gonna be quicker than some of the manned platforms that we’ve experienced in the last few decades.”

Voorheis said on July 29 that his office intends to get CCAs out to the field by the end of the decade.

On the CCA propulsion side, the AFLCMC propulsion office has not decided on a propulsion class yet and is examining a variety of low-end and high-end options, John Sneden, AFLCMC’s program executive officer for propulsion, said on July 29.

Earlier in July, , GE Aerospace and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions said that they are developing a 600 pound-1,250 pound thrust engine for CCA and other drones.

That is a relatively low-thrust class, as the F-16 fighter, for example, has a 30,000-pound thrust engine.

A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.

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DIU Solicits To Refresh Blue UAS Roster

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) on Monday released a solicitation for an upcoming prize challenge for vendors to potentially have their unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and related capabilities added to a list of vetted systems that can be purchased by the Defense Department.

The Blue UAS Refresh Challenge will consider first person view drones, Group 1, 2, and 3 UAS, and related components, capabilities, and software. Products are vetted for safety and to ensure they are cyber secure.

Selected companies will participate in a demonstration event in early November at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. Submissions are due by Aug. 19, finalists will be announced on Sept. 15, and the winners on Nov. 15.

A problem statement published with the solicitation highlights DoD’s need for more UAS platforms and related components and capabilities, adding that these capabilities are changing rapidly.

The current cleared Blue UAS list includes more than two dozen platforms provided by 14 vendors. The Blue UAS framework includes dozens of components and subsystems such as cameras, radios, flight controllers, and software provided by slew of vendors.

A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.

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Booz Allen Secures $506 Million Deal To Support Army’s MOSA Push For Aviation Fleet

Booz Allen Hamilton has been awarded a five-year, $506 million deal to support the Army’s push toward getting after Modular Open System Architecture (MOSA) approaches “at scale” across its aviation fleet.

Tim Lawrence, an executive vice president and the lead for Booz Allen’s Army business, told Defense Daily it will help the Army modernize its existing, enduring aviation fleet and drive advanced capabilities into new programs, like the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft and Future Tactical UAS, with MOSA serving as the “foundational” aspect of the work.

“A transformational part of the approach [with this work] is really this idea of using MOSA and driving MOSA at scale across [Program Executive Office] Aviation and through all their programs. And I say transformational because, to my knowledge, this is the first real at-scale, MOSA-focused contract at least in the Army, maybe in DoD,” Lawrence said.

Army aviation officials have cited moving away from bespoke, stovepiped configurations and embracing MOSA and open standards as critical to enabling rapid technology insertion and long-term cost savings on both future platforms and the enduring fleet.

“The Army’s very serious about driving modularity, driving open architectures, driving data standards, so we view this as a seminal program,” Lawrence said. “If we can prove the concept of driving the MOSA approach through both new programs and the existing fleet, you could take this and apply it to ground vehicles, sensors, communications.”

Under the contract, Booz Allen said it’s working with the Army’s PEO Aviation and Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team to “develop and integrate critical combat systems supporting Army aviation vertical lift capabilities,” with the MOSA-focused effort aiming to enhance “reliability, maintainability, quality, supportability, and interoperability for weapons systems while evaluating new technologies for potential implementation across a range of programs and responsibilities.”

The five-year $506 million deal is Booz Allen’s largest task order to date under the Air Force-led Information Analysis Center Multiple Award Contract (IAC MAC) vehicle, which Lawrence noted covers projects “designed to enhance the S&T and R&D community” and support the Defense Technical Information Center repository.

The task order was originally awarded last October, but was then contested in two subsequent protests by KBR, before the deal was re-awarded for the final time and Booz Allen began work earlier this spring.

Lawrence detailed Booz Allen’s approach to helping the Army’s push toward MOSA in its aviation programs, noting the company would take a “combat systems integrator-kind of role” that would leverage digital engineering, model-based systems engineering, cyber, AI and analytics.

“We really focused heavily on this idea of driving new capabilities in a horizontal way through the programs. Think of the traditional way of doing modernization and technology upgrades. You have [Original Equipment Manufacturers] (OEM), they own the entire stack of capability. If you want to upgrade a comms system or something in the software stack, you have to go through that OEM and basically do a vertical acquisition and modification. Our focus is trying to take concepts from S&T or experimentation or from prototyping and to see how you integrate those across multiple programs in a more horizontal fashion,” Lawrence told Defense Daily.

Booz Allen’s team for the work includes over 20 firms, with Lawrence touting the company’s decision to take a non-exclusive approach to assembling its partners for the project and utilizing its “very robust tech scouting and venture capital” arm of the business.

“We really have an open team,” Lawrence said. “No one on our team was exclusive to us and that’s the real break from traditional contracting that you see in DoD. So we’re able to pull in all of the traditional OEMs that have a stake in these programs, the technology companies, the start-ups, academia.”

“We really talked about the ability to not only bring the right capability from the right teammate depending on the platform or the technology, but also being able to onboard quickly,” Lawrence added, citing Anduril as one example of a partner working on the contract.

Lawrence said he sees this contract as a “concerted effort” on the part of the Army to further its MOSA push and that the work with PEO Aviation and FVL CFT is an opportunity “drive a set of transformative processes” that could be applied across the Army.

“I believe the Army is serious about getting this done. And this is going to be enduring, it isn’t going to be a flash in the pan,” Lawrence said.

Booz Allen is working through specifics now on deliverables and associated timelines with PEO Aviation and the FVL, Lawrence noted, with more details likely to be finalized through the end of 2024.

“I would like to think at the end of the five years that we have made significant progress in moving the Army toward a set of systematic processes to really effectively drive MOSA through programs of record in aviation [and] that we’ve accomplished a number of efforts and modernization and technology upgrades on existing and new platforms,” Lawrence told Defense Daily. “But I can’t imagine all the questions will be answered. [The aim is] this will move the Army from, ‘We know we want to do [MOSA]. It’s really important. It’s going to create more efficiency, more effectiveness, quicker responses and get us out of this sort of stovepiped approach for acquisition of platforms and upgrades and modernization,” to an approach of ‘We’ve really got it locked and loaded.’

A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.

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Looking into Today’s Enhanced Flight Vision Systems

Part One in a series looking at the status of Enhanced Flight Vision Systems, which provide greater situation awareness and improved visual clarity for enhanced navigational safety and efficient operations.

An Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS) uses high-tech imaging sensors installed on the nose of an aircraft to capture and provide real-time, clear images of an aircraft’s forward external environment . This image is then displayed to pilots using a head-up display (HUD) or an equivalent display to present aircraft information, flight symbology or an electronic real-time sensor image to aid situational awareness. Imaging sensors can be forward-looking infrared, millimeter wave radiometry, millimeter wave radar, low-light level image intensification or other real-time imaging technologies.

EFVS’ suite of technologies improves aircraft safety by enabling operational improvements in low-visibility operations. With it, pilots can navigate accurately and make informed decisions. During many types of weather conditions, EFVS can provide a view of the external scene using thermal contrast, when the naked eye is not able to do so due to obscuring clouds, fog, snow, haze, smoke, smog, darkness or other elements. While EFVS minimizes delays and prevents aircraft from being rerouted; more importantly, it lowers the risk of runway incursions and excursions.

Collins Aerospace Combined Vision Systems (CVS) seamlessly blend to provide a holistic view of the environment, high-fidelity flight information and a wider field of view to lessen pilot workload and improve critical decision making. (Photo courtesy of Collins Aerospace)

In 14 CFR § 1.1, the Federal Aviation Administration defines enhanced flight visibility as the average forward horizontal distance, from the cockpit of an aircraft in flight, at which prominent topographical objects may be clearly distinguished and identified by day or night by a pilot using an enhanced flight vision system.

Gang He, senior technical fellow at Aerospace Advanced Technology, Honeywell, Morris Plains, N.J., says large cabin business jet OEMs were the first adopters of this technology but “Now, other business jet segments and large transport OEMs are increasingly seeing the value that EFVS brings to operators and looking for ways to integrate it onto their platforms.”

Dror Yahav, chief executive officer at Universal Avionics, Tucson, Ariz., says EFVS have been in development since 2001, originally used in military operations and backed by generations of expertise from his parent company Elbit Systems Ltd.

“Universal Avionics has made groundbreaking advancements to the technology with the introduction of ClearVision, a complete gate-to-gate visibility solution and the first wearable EFVS certified for the commercial aviation market. Its SkyLens Head-Wearable Display (HWD) has altered the enhanced vision market, increasing availability for all aircraft types and enabling new functionality for pilots.”

The following systems do not meet the equipment requirements of an EFVS eligible to conduct operations:

An image presented on a Head-Down Display (HDD)
An image displayed on a HUD without symbology or guidance information
A Synthetic Vision System (SVS)
A Synthetic Vision Guidance System (SVGS)
A Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) / Night Vision Goggles (NVG)

Equipping one of these systems alone will not allow operators to benefit from the features of a full EFVS system.

The EFVS Market

The EFVS market is experiencing significant growth. According to a research report titled “EFVS market Analysis: Industry Size, Share, Research Report, Insights, COVID-19 Impact, Statistics, Trends, Growth and Forecast 2024-2032” by Torrance, Calif-based Markwide Research, the market is being driven by:

Advancements in aviation technology and the increasing demand for enhanced safety and operational efficiency in the aviation industry.
The rising number of flight operations, the need to mitigate the risks associated with low-visibility conditions, and the continuous advancements in sensor technologies.
Ongoing advancements in sensors, cameras and display technologies are facilitating the development of more sophisticated and reliable EFVS solutions.
Aviation authorities and regulatory bodies are increasingly recognizing the benefits of EFVS and implementing regulations that mandate their use in certain flight operations, driving market growth.

Boeing 737 Aircraft pilot operates head-up with Universal Avionics SkyLens Head-Wearable Device (HWD). (Photo courtesy of Universal Avionics)

The report does list EFVS market restraints:

High implementation costs: The initial investment and installation costs associated with EFVS solutions can be substantial, posing a challenge for smaller aviation operators and airlines.
Integration challenges: Integrating EFVS systems with existing avionics and flight management systems can be complex and time consuming, hindering market growth.
Limited awareness and training: Lack of awareness about EFVS benefits and limited pilot training on EFVS operations and functionalities may restrain market expansion.
Regulatory challenges: Differences in EFVS regulations across different regions and countries can create challenges for manufacturers and operators, hampering market growth.
Technological limitations: Despite advancements, EFVS technologies may have limitations in extreme weather conditions, which may impact their effectiveness.

In another market report titled “Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (EFVS) Market Research Report” by New York City-based Market Research Future, the EFVS market Size was valued at USD 0.2 billion in 2023. The EFVS market is projected to grow from USD 0.214 Billion in 2024 to USD 0.3211 billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.00% during the forecast period (2024 – 2032).

This report states the EFVS market consists of established major companies such as Honeywell International Inc., Elbit Systems Ltd., and L3Harris Technologies Inc. In a bid to capture a larger market share, companies in the EFVS space are strategically diversifying their product portfolios. Some are focusing on the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to enhance image processing capabilities. Others are leveraging partnerships with aviation authorities and regulatory bodies to streamline the certification process for EFVS-equipped aircraft. Furthermore, companies are investing in marketing initiatives to create awareness among aviation stakeholders about the benefits of EFVS, emphasizing its contribution to safety, reduced operational costs, and improved overall flight experience.

EFVS Improvements

In the past few years, numerous EFVS advancements have improved the functionality, reliability and safety of airborne operations. For example, Charlotte, N.C.-based Collins Aerospace’s imaging sensors have become more sensitive to include infrared and low-light cameras, providing exceptional clarity in all weather and visibility conditions.

New sensor technology (e.g., millimeter wave) can enable better image capture and also compute capability, whether embedded in the sensor or elsewhere in the system. “New vision sensors, beyond infrared cameras, are needed to support all weather conditions operations, as airports move to LED and away from incandescent lighting,” says Ankur Kumar, senior director, Integrated Avionics, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, Phoenix, Ariz. “The thermal footprint from incandescent bulbs, which enables infrared to provide the visual advantage over natural vision in low visibility conditions, is not the same with LED. The visual advantage of infrared vision systems for the most part is lost in weather conditions because the thermal signature from the incandescent lights is lost. While the infrared sensors will still enhance visibility during night visual meteorological conditions (VMC), for the most part it will provide no advantage during any bad weather or instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) as compared to human vision.”

EFVS helps pilots navigate accurately and make informed decisions. (Photo courtesy of Honeywell Aerospace Technologies )

Sensors based on active or passive millimeter wave technologies can provide better weather penetration capabilities; however, Kumar believes they are currently limited by image resolutions, performance issues, weight, cost and other factors for commercial applications. “On-going development efforts are looking into sensor data fusion between camera and radar detection technologies in order to take advantage of combined capabilities of multiple types of sensor systems to achieve visual advantage for low-visibility operations.”

Kumar adds that he has seen, “Advances in EFVS through fusion use of multiple camera sensors to include more of the near visible and infrared spectrum. In addition, we’ve also seen higher resolution in the displays.”

Collins Aerospace has been coordinating with regulatory bodies to further expand the operational usefulness of EFVS by expanding certification to include use during the taxi, takeoff and landing phases of flight. “EFVS already provides for lower minima in the landing phase of flight, but the next step is to bring the benefits to takeoff and taxi,” Craig Brown, senior director, vision systems programs at Collins Aerospace says.

HUD technology was previously unaffordable, difficult to install and designed only for large cockpits due to space requirements. But by adding a wearable display, “Universal Avionics made EFVS available to all airplanes because the HUD is not installed—it is worn by the operator,” Yahav says. “No longer limited to a fixed, forward-looking display, Universal has developed many new applications such as panoramic synthetic vision, with surrounding traffic inputs and conformal traffic to follow. Our EVS has also evolved from a single infrared sensor to a multiple-sensor solution, combining visible light, near IR, and longwave infrared inputs to create a complete picture for operators. The EVS-5000 multispectral camera provides significantly improved image capture, detects LED lights, and penetrates weather in a way that no other technology does at 50% visual advantage, a first in the market.” 

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ITP Aero Reaps Growth From New Engine Platform Roles – AIN – July 23

The Spain-based ITP Aero engines and components business has been expanding its manufacturing and aftermarket businesses after it was sold from Rolls-Royce to Bain Capital two years ago, AIN report. The company is still a supplier to the Trent family of engines, but also has positions on Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan, Honeywell’s HTF7000, Airbus’ ZeroE hydrogen airliner program and is the Spanish engine partner for Europe’s Future Combat Air System. In the last full financial year it increased revenues by 25 percent and earnings by 50 percent while it has spent over $600 million in research and development in recent years.

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Joby demonstrates potential for emissions-free regional journeys with landmark 523-mile hydrogen-electric flight – July 11

Joby’s hydrogen-electric technology demonstrator aircraft completed a 523-mile flight on June 24, 2024 above Marina, California, with no in-flight emissions except water. (Photo: Joby Aviation)

Santa Cruz, CA, Jul 11, 2024 — Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a next generation aviation company, today announced it has successfully flown a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-electric air taxi demonstrator 523 miles, with water as the only by-product. The aircraft, which takes off and lands vertically, builds on Joby’s successful battery-electric air taxi development program, and demonstrates the potential for hydrogen to unlock emissions-free, regional journeys that don’t require a runway.

JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO, Joby, said: “Traveling by air is central to human progress, but we need to find ways to make it cleaner. With our battery-electric air taxi set to fundamentally change the way we move around cities, we’re excited to now be building a technology stack that could redefine regional travel using hydrogen-electric aircraft.

“Imagine being able to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, Boston to Baltimore, or Nashville to New Orleans without the need to go to an airport and with no emissions except water. That world is closer than ever, and the progress we’ve made towards certifying the battery-electric version of our aircraft gives us a great head start as we look ahead to making hydrogen-electric flight a reality.

“The vast majority of the design, testing and certification work we’ve completed on our battery-electric aircraft carries over to commercializing hydrogen-electric flight. In service, we also expect to be able to use the same landing pads, the same operations team, and Joby’s ElevateOS software that will support the commercial operation of our battery-electric aircraft.”

The landmark test flight, believed to be the first forward flight of a vertical take off and landing aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen, was completed last month using a converted Joby pre-production prototype battery-electric aircraft fitted with a liquid hydrogen fuel tank and fuel cell system. It landed with 10% of its hydrogen fuel load remaining.

Jacob Wilson, (Acting) Branch Chief, AFWERX Agility Prime, said: “Agility Prime has been very supportive of hydrogen-powered aircraft development and testing as it aligns with the program’s goals to advance transformative vertical lift technologies and broader Department of Defense operational energy goals of energy substitution and diversification, and energy demand reduction.”

“Clean hydrogen has the potential to help decarbonize our aviation system for decades to come,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Jeff Marootian. “Regional air mobility innovation provides a clear opportunity to incorporate clean hydrogen into the future of transportation.”

“Joby is a stellar example of why California continues to lead the world in clean technology and high-tech manufacturing,” said Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom and Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. “Their pioneering work to decarbonize aviation, by advancing battery and now hydrogen fuel cell technology, is helping to fight climate change and create a clean energy future that will improve the lives of all Californians.”

Joby’s hydrogen-electric demonstrator is part of the Company’s future technology program and is the result of several years of collaboration between a small team at Joby and H2FLY, Joby’s wholly-owned subsidiary based in Stuttgart, Germany. The converted aircraft previously completed more than 25,000 miles of testing as a battery-electric aircraft at Joby’s base in Marina, CA.

Using the same airframe and overall architecture as Joby’s core, battery-electric aircraft, this demonstrator features a liquid hydrogen fuel tank, designed and built by Joby, which stores up to 40 kilograms of liquid hydrogen, alongside a reduced mass of batteries. Hydrogen is fed into a fuel cell system, designed and built by H2FLY, to produce electricity, water, and heat. The electricity produced by the hydrogen fuel cell powers the six electric motors on the Joby aircraft, with the batteries providing additional power primarily during take-off and landing.

Joby’s H2FLY team used similar technology to complete another record-breaking flight in September 2023, when they flew the world’s first piloted flight of a conventional liquid hydrogen-electric aircraft using their fuel cell technology.

As part of Joby’s wider commitment to leading the way on the development of new aviation technologies, it recently acquired Xwing Inc., an industry leader in the development of autonomous technology for aviation. Xwing has been flying autonomous aircraft since 2020, with 250 fully autonomous flights and more than 500 auto-landings completed to date, using the Superpilot software it developed in-house.

Joby plans to start commercial operations as soon as 2025, using its battery-electric air taxi. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has raised more than $2 billion of funding to date, including investments from Toyota, Delta Air Lines, SK Telecom, Uber and Baillie Gifford.

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