Joby Aviation (Joby), has announced that it has been contracted by the US Air Force to deliver up to nine of its five-seat, low-noise, zero-operating-emissions eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft as a third extension to the previously signed Agility Prime contract. This US$55 million extension brings the total value of the Agility Prime contract to US$133 million.
The delivery of the aircraft will come with Joby also providing operational support and the opportunity for the Air Force and additional federal agencies to experience, first hand, the performance of Joby’s aircraft and their potential application. The first two eVTOLs should be delivered to Edwards Air Force Base, California, by early 2024, and they will be used to demonstrate a wide gamut of potential logistics use cases, including cargo and passenger transportation. These aircraft should consequently become the first electric air taxis to be stationed at a U.S. military base.
The announcement of this contract extension follows on from four Air Force pilots, hosted by Joby at its manufacturing facility in Marina, California, becoming the first Air Force personnel to fly an eVTOL as sole pilot-in-command through the full flight envelope, including transition from vertical to wing-borne flight. The flights, which were piloted remotely from the ground, were subsequent to completion of classroom-based and simulator training and were part of the Air Force’s comprehensive approach to studying eVTOL aircraft and their potential future role.
“The Agility Prime program is a remarkably successful example of how public-private partnerships can deliver trailblazing technology at speed,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby. “We’re grateful for the support of the programme and for the U.S. government’s wider commitment to global leadership in this important new sector. “As well as allowing us to explore the wide range of potential use cases across the U.S. government, our defence partners have also provided us with high-impact support as we prepare for commercial operations in 2025,” he added. (£1.00 = US$1.25 at time of publication).
