US-China tech war prompts US to build electric planes
The escalating tech war between the US and China has prompted the Pentagon to move toward rolling out electric planes.
Since 2020, the US Air Force’s Agility Prime program has funneled over $100 million into a slew of companies working for its battery-powered aircraft, known as eVTOLs, which stands for “electric vertical takeoff and landing.”
The companies participating in the program think the US military will start acquiring its first-ever electric plane in 2024, Forbes reported on Friday.
Some of the 15 companies participating in the program include creators of piloted eVTOLs, like Joby Aviation and Beta Technologies, and startups developing cargo drones like Elroy Air and Talyn. The program has provided not only funding but government testing resources and the potential to earn revenue on military sales before the Federal Aviation Administration gives them the green light to launch civilian service.
Northern California-based Joby Aviation, which has received contracts worth up to $75 million to support R&D and unmanned flight testing, last month told investors it’s in talks to deliver aircraft to the military in 2024.
Forbes reported Joby Aviation's Executive Chairman, Paul Sciarra, as saying that it’s possible the US military will start acquiring eVTOLs as early as next year.
The US military aims to use electrical aircraft in utility roles to ferry people and cargo far from airstrips at a lower cost than conventional helicopters. Because they’re quiet, they may also be useful to slip troops behind enemy lines and to conduct rescue operations.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has urged Washington to stop spreading the outdated theory of the Chinese threat and better engage in building a new concept of mutually beneficial cooperation.
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