The US companies Joby Aviation and L3harris Technologies have announced a new strategic partnership to develop a hybrid-electric evrol aircraft focusing on military use.
The project aims to customize the model Joby S4which is originally fully electric, to operate with a new propulsion system based on gas turbine. The goal is to create a concept for a vertical and -landing aircraft (VTOL) that can be operated both with and without a pilot.
According to the announcement, the goal is to evaluate the aircraft’s military capacity in low -flying assignments, with emphasis on operational flexibility. The aircraft should be used both staffed and autonomously, which increases the applications in different scenarios.
The plan is for test flights with the new hybrid evrol model to begin in late 2025, with demonstrations in 2026.
Although Joby mainly operates in the civilian market, the company has previously collaborated with the US Air Defense, including deliveries of electric aircraft prototypes to the now-completed Agility Prime program. Over the past few years, Joby has received more than $ 130 million from the Air Force to support the development of vertical start technology.
As the range of full-electric aircraft is still limited-especially in military operations in the Indo Pacific-the US Air Defense has since 2024 changed focus on hybrid-electric propulsion, which better meets today’s tactical and operational requirements.
The new partnership between Joby and L3harris aims to fulfill this need by combining Joby’s expertise in advanced air mobility with L3harris’ expertise in integration and defense technology.
Source and picture: Joby Aviation. This content was created with the help of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial staff.
