Department of Defense bets on Joby eVTOL

Joby Aviation extended its contract with the U.S. Department of Defense under the Agility Prime program and will continue to research applications for its eVTOLs. The value of the contract nearly doubles that previously signed.

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Joby is a California-based developer of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or eVTOL. The contract will include new tests that will seek to evaluate the technologies developed by the company. In total, the deal is valued at more than $75 million.

The branches involved will also be expanded, as the United States Marine Corps (USMC) will become part of the contract. The USMC will take part in flight tests and in the exploration of potential eVTOL applications. Roles in which this equipment could be deployed include resupply, personnel relocation, and medical evacuations.

Related content: Joby Aviation receives its FAA part 135 operator certificate

JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, noted in this regard that «as we work towards our goal of launching a passenger transport service, we continue to sign contracts. This extension of our agreement with the DoD allows us to demonstrate the potential of our aircraft. It will also allow us to offset some of our research and development costs.»

Four of the branches of the U.S. military (the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps) have marked eVTOLs as an area of «critical interest.»

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Joby was the first company to obtain military airworthiness approval for an eVTOL aircraft, in 2020. The company’s model can carry four passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. Its range is 150 miles. The model recently received a FAR Part 135 Air Transport Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.