Electra Defense will conduct ground and flight tests of the EL9 aircraft for the US Air Force to evaluate the military potential of hybrid-electric propulsion.
Electra Defense announced that it has been awarded a $4.7 million Innovative Capabilities Opening (ICO) contract by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance hybrid-electric aircraft power and propulsion technologies through ground and flight testing. Under the contract, Electra’s EL9 aircraft and hybrid-electric propulsion systems will be tested and evaluated. These efforts will help the US Air Force assess the potential use of next-generation Ultra-Short Takeoff and Landing (Ultra-STOL) aircraft in military operations and obtain critical performance data.
The studies will also examine how hybrid-electric aviation could expand operational reach, strengthen distributed logistics operations, and support the US Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) doctrine.
Electra and AFRL Collaboration
The $4.7 million contract marks the latest milestone in the longstanding collaboration between Electra and AFRL to advance hybrid-electric aviation technologies for military applications. In 2023, Electra received Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) support worth up to $85 million to support the development of its full-scale pre-production aircraft. As part of the collaboration, flight demonstrations and government-directed testing have been conducted. During AFRL’s Future Flag 25-3 exercise in 2025, Electra demonstrated the potential of Ultra-STOL aircraft and hybrid-electric propulsion systems to support runway-independent distributed military operations and mobile power generation.
Donn Yates, Vice President and General Manager of Electra Defense, stated that the contract represents an important step in demonstrating how hybrid-electric aircraft technology can help address the operational challenges facing the US Air Force, emphasizing that power and propulsion systems play a fundamental role in developing new capabilities for military aviation. Highlighting the importance of enabling aircraft to operate more flexibly, access different locations, and reduce the logistical burden on deployed forces in future military operations, Yates said that the combination of hybrid-electric power systems, distributed propulsion technology, and Ultra-STOL capability offers a fundamentally transformative approach to tactical mobility. Yates added that the real-world aircraft performance data obtained through these efforts will help assess how these technologies could contribute to more agile, distributed, and resilient operations and determine their potential value to the US Air Force.
Ground and Flight Tests for the EL9
The company will conduct a series of technical evaluations focusing on aircraft performance, hybrid-electric propulsion system functionality, and operational effectiveness. These activities will include validation of core hybrid-electric power and propulsion technologies, comprehensive ground testing of the EL9 pre-production aircraft, and acoustic flight tests to assess the aircraft’s ability to enter and exit mission areas with a low signature using battery power alone during special operations missions. These efforts will help advance the technology’s maturity while providing the US Air Force with data on aircraft performance and mission effectiveness.
The potential operational advantages of hybrid-electric Ultra-STOL aircraft will also be evaluated through modeling and simulation. The assessments will examine capabilities such as operating from a greater number of locations, supporting the rapid dispersal of personnel and time-critical cargo to different areas, and reducing dependence on traditional aviation infrastructure and ground support equipment. The findings are expected to inform the US Air Force’s future technology development and acquisition decisions.
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Source: C4Defence – Electra
