Joby near-doubles US defence contract value to $75m

Joby Aviation’s contract with the US Air Force’s Agility Prime programme has been expanded, increasing the potential value by more than $45m and bringing the possible value of the total contract to more than $75m.

The contract will also see a partnership with the US Marine Corps, which will participate in flight tests and use case exploration, including resupply, relocation of personnel, and emergency medical response applications.

JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby said: “As we work toward our goal of launching a passenger ridesharing service, we’re grateful for the support of our defense partners. This extension provides valuable support for our ongoing development efforts and allows our partners to see first-hand the potential for this aircraft in their future concept of operations.”

On August 3, Joby attended the White House Summit on AAM, which brought together industry, government agencies, and military personnel to discuss how to advance the US in this new technology area.

With the expansion of Joby’s contract, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps have all now identified eVTOL aircraft as a critical area of interest.

In 2020, Joby became the first eVTOL developer to receive military airworthiness approval for its pre-production prototype aircraft.