Elodie Collins
Lockheed Martin’s innovation division Skunk Works has signed a memorandum of understanding with Electra.aero, manufacturer of hybrid-electric aircraft, to collaborate on an upcoming ultra-short takeoff and landing, or Ultra-STOL, plane.
Lockheed said it will work with Electra to accelerate the development and manufacturing of the nine-passenger EL9 Ultra-STOL.
“Electra has driven signification innovation in the hybrid-electric space, and we’re excited to collaborate with them to accelerate their development,” commented OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager at Skunk Works.
The agreement marks the continuation of the companies’ long-time partnership. Lockheed Martin Ventures was one of Electra’s investors during the Falls Church, Virginia-based aviation company’s Series A funding round in 2022.
About Electra’s EL9 Ultra-STOL
The EL9 Ultra-STOL can perform last-mile delivery, emergency response and mobile power generation for commercial and military missions. The aircraft can carry 1,000 lbs. of cargo across a distance of up to over a thousand miles.
During a recent test, Electra reported that EL9’s blown lift wing design enables the aircraft to achieve the high lift it needed for takeoff and landing in just 150 feet, or 10 percent the required distance for a conventional plane of the same size to fly.
It is also designed to land and take off quietly, even in austere environments with unimproved surfaces.
Lockheed Martin to Support EL9 Development
Under the MoU, Skunk Works will contribute digital engineering, manufacturing and supply chain, sustainment, and global business development support. The Skunk Works team will also work closely with Electra to identify potential programs of record with the Department of Defense and international organizations.
“Lockheed Martin’s breadth of manufacturing, supply chain and military customer expertise is the perfect complement to Electra’s EL9 commercialization strategy,” according to Marc Allen, CEO of Electra. “This relationship will accelerate our speed to market to bring the EL9’s transformative capabilities to our military customers.
