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

Verified

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 two real-time demonstrations of its Alia electric aircraft with the U.S. Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC) and Air Mobility Command (AMC), often with minutes' notice.
During these "real-world" missions, Alia proved its utility for defense applications like cargo delivery, personnel transport, and simulated medical evacuations, moving over 2,200 pounds of cargo and significantly cutting delivery times.
The month-long campaign achieved a 100 percent success rate, further building on Beta's established collaboration with AFWERX and prior milestones with the Air Force.
The conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) version of the Alia electric aircraft is targeted for market release in 2025, with military deployment being the primary focus.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.