Advanced Air Mobility Modern Flying News

Beta Electric Aircraft Completes ‘Real-World’ Air Force Missions

The company’s Alia model moved up to 500 pounds of cargo at a time over the course of a monthlong exercise involving two major commands of the U.S. Air Force.

Monday, July 15, 2024 at 01:09 PM ET

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Beta’s all-electric Alia comes in for a landing during a demonstration with the U.S. Air Force. [Courtesy: Beta Technologies]

Key Takeaways:

Beta Technologies successfully completed new real-time demonstrations of its Alia electric aircraft with the U.S. Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC) and Air Mobility Command (AMC).
The missions tested Alia's rapid deployment capability and suitability for defense use cases such as resupply, cargo delivery, personnel transport, and medical evacuations.
Alia demonstrated significant operational efficiency, moving over 2,200 pounds of cargo, simulating a C-130 mission, and cutting delivery times by more than half (e.g., 45 minutes vs. 2.5 hours).
The CTOL version of Alia, which has a proven track record with the Air Force, is targeted for military deployment before its commercial release in 2025.

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After wrapping up its first test and deployment campaign with the U.S. Air Force in January, electric aircraft manufacturer Beta Technologies on Monday said it completed two more real-time demonstrations, dispatching its Alia aircraft with only a few minutes’ notice.

The company believes these were the first such deployments for an electric aircraft with major commands of the Air Force.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.