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Electra.aero Wins New Air Force Award For Light Transport Testing
The United States Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Electra Defense a $4.7 million research and development contract for ground and flight testing of its hybrid-electric EL9 light transport aircraft. Electra announced the award on 9 November 2026, saying the work would evaluate the preproduction aircraft and generate data on its propulsion system, flight performance and acoustic characteristics. The laboratory will use those results to assess the potential of ultra-short takeoff and landing aircraft for distributed military logistics. The award follows a 2023 funding agreement worth up to $85 million that supported development of the full-scale aircraft.