Electra launches defense business unit

Manassas-based aviation startup Electra.aero on Wednesday announced that it has launched a new defense business unit to capitalize on growing military demand for aircraft that can fly long distances without a runway.

The Electra Defense unit will focus on developing its EL9 model for the U.S. military. The EL9 is a nine-passenger hybrid ultra-short aircraft that can take off and land with just 150 feet of runway. The company says the model opens thousands of new access points, ranging from small, underserved airports to nontraditional sites such as parking lots or fields.

“The military can no longer solely rely on trucks or helicopters to conduct logistics missions over long distances, and we need to preserve the efficiency of existing airlift assets,” said Electra Defense Vice President and General Manager Donn Yates in a statement. “The multi-mission [ultra-short takeoff and landing] EL9 is the sprinter van of the skies, enabling the military to execute agile combat employment to deliver people, power and payloads at the last tactical leg. We look forward to continuing our work with our government partners to deliver this aircraft ahead of the threat.”

Electra Defense’s launch follows several successful government-directed tests of the EL9 with the U.S. Air Force in September.

“The EL9’s ability to take off and land from ships and runways as short as 150 feet mitigates the scarcity of available runways in contested environments,” said Retired Gen, Doug Brown, co-chair of Electra’s advisory board, in a statement. “Should a conflict break out in the Indo-Pacific, long-range runway-independent airlift is needed to … counteract the inevitable targeting of runway infrastructure.”

In January 2023, Electra received an $85 million award from the Air Force to accelerate prototype development, testing and evaluation. The company says the recently completed government-directed tests with the U.S. Air Force marked the latest milestone under that contract.

In addition, Electra is partnering with the U.S. Army on a Small Business Innovation Research contract to advance the research and development of hybrid-electric powertrain, power and propulsion systems.

In June, Electra and Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works unit entered a memorandum of understanding to accelerate the commercialization of the EL9 and explore global opportunities.

Electra plans to begin flight testing of the EL9 in 2027. The startup previously said it wants to fly for FAA certification credit in 2028 and 2029 and to get the airplane certified and into service in late 2029 or 2030.

So far, the company has secured more than 2,200 provisional orders from over 60 customers worldwide, with its commercial order pipeline valued at $15 billion.

Founded in 2020, Electra announced in April that it had secured $115 million in Series B funding to enter the pre-production and certification phase of the EL9 model. Electra’s strategic investors include Lockheed MartinVentures and Honeywell.