The US Air Force is set to start flying electric "air taxis" early next year at Edwards Air Force Base.
An existing Air Force AFWERX Agility Prime contract is being extended with Joby Aviation, which will see the company provide up to nine electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to the service. It will be the first time electric air taxis are stationed at a US military base.
Each Joby electric aircraft can seat up to five people and will be used at the base for cargo and passenger transportation (as well as any other tasks they prove useful for once active). Recently, Air Force pilots visited Joby's Marina, California manufacturing facility where they remotely piloted the eVTOLs. The next step involves training those same pilots to fly the eVOLTS directly once they arrive at Edwards next year.
Lt. Col. Tom Meagher, AFWERX Prime Lead, believes the use of Joby's aircraft offers, "an outstanding opportunity for accelerated learning with the other Department of Defense services and government agencies, including NASA and the FAA."
For Joby, the company's contract with the Air Force now has a potential value of $131 million, but more importantly, it allows for extensive testing and support of the eVOLT platform ahead of Joby launching commercial operations in 2025.