Summary points:
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Electra.aero received a $1.9 million SBIR contract from the U.S. Army to support the development and testing of hybrid-electric propulsion systems, focusing on the company's EL9 Ultra-STOL aircraft.
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The 18-month project includes six technical tasks, such as flight testing, modeling, and operational analysis, to evaluate how hybrid-electric technologies can enhance Army aviation capabilities and logistics.
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Electra's EL2 prototype has demonstrated ultra-short takeoffs and landings, and the company continues to advance its dual-use EL9 platform, building on prior Army contracts and a milestone electric flight with the NASA Administrator in 2024.
MANASSAS, Va. - Electra.aero Inc. in Manassas, Va., has been awarded a $1.9 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the U.S. Army to advance hybrid-electric propulsion, power, and powertrain systems for future aircraft.
The 18-month contract will support technology maturation and risk reduction activities centered on Electra’s EL9, a nine-passenger ultra-short takeoff and landing (Ultra-STOL) aircraft currently in development. Electra will carry out six core tasks, including a trade study, operational analysis, modeling and simulation, and flight testing to help the Army evaluate hybrid-electric propulsion systems for military applications.
"This work gives the Army a clear path forward in understanding how hybrid-electric technologies can support real operational demands, while enabling entirely new logistics capabilities," said Donn Yates, vice president of government programs at Electra.
U.S. Navy to explore use of Electra.aero's commercial-focused eSTOL for logistics
Short takeoff
Electra's EL2 prototype has demonstrated takeoffs and landings in less than 150 feet, validating the Ultra-STOL concept. The EL9 is expected to operate in confined environments such as soccer field-sized areas and offer mobile power capabilities while maintaining the efficiency, safety, and range of a fixed-wing aircraft.
Electra previously flew the NASA Administrator aboard the EL2 in December 2024, becoming the first company to carry a U.S. government agency head on an electric aircraft. The company is continuing EL2 flight tests and developing the EL9 as a dual-use platform for commercial and military missions.
This latest award marks the sixth Army contract awarded to Electra, underscoring the Army’s ongoing interest in the company’s hybrid-electric technologies and their potential to support contested logistics and expeditionary aviation.
