Jane Edwards
BETA Technologies has received airworthiness approval from the U.S. Air Force for its electric vertical aircraft.
The approval allows the company to begin operating its manned ALIA electric aircraft under the AFWERX Agility Prime Program that uses government resources to rapidly deploy new platforms to help broaden technology transition pathways and advance dual-use markets, the service said Wednesday.
“Agility Prime is about creating a new path to adopt advanced technologies in the Department of Defense by working with innovative companies like BETA in ways that enable new markets,” said Col. Nathan Diller, director of AFWERX. “The engineering, test and acquisition professionals in Air Force Materiel Command have phenomenal expertise to help accelerate this and other emerging markets.”
The Air Force is also expected to sign a contract in June to gain access to BETA’s electric aircraft and electric vertical takeoff and landing simulators installed at the company’s facilities in Washington, D.C. and Springfield, Ohio.
In March, BETA’s ALIA aircraft completed its first interstate flight, enabling the company to advance to the flight testing program’s next phase.
