Joby Aviation Partners with L3Harris to Develop Autonomous Aircraft for Military Customers

Joby Aviation has flown a demonstrator of a new hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft, which will be produced by Joby for commercial applications but missionized for military users by L3Harris. The autonomous system will be marketed to the DoD for roles like contested logistics and drone wingmen. The aircraft is based on Joby’s all-electric S4 platform and features a gas turbine hybrid powertrain. The partnership between Joby and L3Harris comes ahead of the Dubai Airshow, where both companies are expected to have a presence. The development may indicate a growing interest in hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft for military applications, but further testing and evaluation will be necessary to determine its feasibility.