- Electra launched a defense unit to develop the EL9 hybrid-electric aircraft, capable of ultra-short takeoff and landing from 150-foot spaces.
- The EL9 recently demonstrated quiet logistics operations and UAV power-up at a U.S. Air Force Future Flag test.
Electra announced on December 3 the creation of “Electra Defense,” a new business unit aimed at advancing the company’s work with the U.S. military through the development of the EL9, a hybrid-electric aircraft with ultra-short takeoff and landing (ultra-STOL) capabilities.
The EL9 is a nine-passenger fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate from spaces as short as 150 feet, offering a runway-independent alternative to conventional logistics platforms. According to Electra, the aircraft can carry up to 1,000 pounds of cargo over 1,000 nautical miles while generating 600 kW of onboard power—enabling a range of missions in austere environments.
“The military can no longer solely rely on trucks or helicopters to conduct logistics missions over long distances, and we need to preserve the efficiency of existing airlift assets,” said Donn Yates, Vice President & General Manager of Electra Defense. “The multi-mission ultra-STOL EL9 is the sprinter van of the skies, enabling the military to execute agile combat employment to deliver people, power, and payloads at the last tactical leg.”
The company says the new unit was launched in response to increased military interest in runway-independent airlift platforms. The EL9 is designed to support distributed operations and reduce reliance on larger aircraft like the C-17 and C-130 in contested or infrastructure-degraded environments.
According to a press release from Electra, the EL9’s development builds on recent test activities conducted with the U.S. Air Force at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Future Flag 25-3 event in September. During the exercise, Electra’s two-seat EL2 prototype conducted ultra-short takeoff and landing maneuvers and powered up an MQ-9 Reaper UAV, demonstrating potential use cases for expeditionary power and logistics.
The company added that the test followed a June memorandum of understanding with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works to accelerate development and explore global opportunities for the EL9 platform.
The aircraft features a hybrid-electric propulsion system developed under Electra’s $85 million Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract from AFWERX. Electra also holds a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with the U.S. Army to advance hybrid-electric powertrain and propulsion technology.
Electra says the EL9 will support a range of defense missions, including ship-to-shore transport, casualty evacuation, expeditionary command and control, quiet infiltration and exfiltration, and maritime surveillance.
“The EL9’s ability to take off and land from ships and runways as short as 150 ft mitigates the scarcity of available runways in contested environments,” said General (Ret.) Doug Brown, Co-Chair of Electra’s Advisory Board. “Should a conflict break out in the Indo-Pacific, long-range runway-independent airlift is needed to support ACE and counteract the inevitable targeting of runway infrastructure.”
The company has spent the last two years conducting flight tests and demonstrations of its EL2 prototype in varied settings, including off-runway locations, university campuses, and austere environments. These flights, conducted in coordination with the U.S. Air Force, highlight the aircraft’s dual-use potential for both defense and commercial operations.