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Report: U.S. Air Force Should Scale Back Investment in eVTOL Tech

Researchers with the Rand Corporation find that the Air Force’s Agility Prime program is not delivering results for itself or its partners.

Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 02:04 PM ET

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Pivotal’s BlackFly eVTOL is among designs being evaluated by the Air Force’s Agility Prime program for military applications. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force/Matthew Clouse]

Key Takeaways:

A Rand Corporation report criticizes the U.S. Air Force's Agility Prime program for investing in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, deeming the spending unlikely to be "transformational" for the USAF or effective in shaping the domestic eVTOL industry.
The report concludes that eVTOLs will likely only meet a "fraction of a percent" of future military demand and the Air Force lacks sufficient mechanisms to influence commercial development for military suitability.
Rand recommends scaling back Agility Prime to focus on a few capable eVTOL aircraft, maintaining commercial partnerships without direct funding ties, and supporting regulatory development for eVTOLs.
These recommendations may be adopted due to significant budget cuts proposed for AFWERX, the division housing Agility Prime, which faces a substantial decline in funding.

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The U.S. Air Force is blowing its money on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, according to a report released last month.

Manufacturers of novel eVTOL aircraft—designed to take off and land vertically like a helicopter but cruise on fixed wings like an airplane—have raised billions of dollars in venture capital. The FAA’s Innovate28 plan even predicts they will be a regular occurrence in U.S. skies by the time the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games arrive.

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.