Just three months after announcing a partnership with defense contractor L3Harris, Joby Aviation flew a new hybrid version of its flying car concept that has been repurposed for military use.
Joby announced Thursday that the first flight of the turbine electric, autonomous vertical take-off and landing aircraft took place Nov. 7 at the company’s facility in Marina, Calif. The California startup is known for developing all-electric air taxis for short, yet expensive trips in places like Dubai and Saudi Arabia. However, its new hybrid aircraft is designed for defense customers.
“It is imperative that we find ways to get new technology into the hands of American troops more quickly and cost-efficiently than before,” Joby CEO and founder Joby Bevirt said in a statement.
prepare for takeoff
The new aircraft is based on Joby’s existing technology for its air taxis, which integrates a hybrid turbine powertrain with the company’s SuperPilot autonomous flight system. As such, the new aircraft is designed to carry heavier payloads and travel longer distances than the existing battery-powered version.
Through its partnership with L3Harris, Joby will also add sensors, surveillance, communications systems and mission equipment to the aircraft so that its vehicle can be reused for use by the military.
“The magic of dual-use technology is that it creates value in both directions,” Bevirt said. “By building on our proven technology stack, our partners can rapidly deliver new capabilities to the War Department, while we benefit from advancing the maturity of our hybrid and autonomous systems.”
Joby is hoping to capitalize on the US military’s growing demand for autonomous and hybrid aircraft. The company said the government has allocated about $9 billion in the 2026 budget to develop the next generation aircraft.
“The next generation of vertical lift technology enables long-range, crew-less teaming for a variety of missions,” John Rambeau, president of Integrated Mission Systems at L3Harris, said in a statement. “We share a vision with Joby to provide urgently needed innovation by mission building VTOL aircraft for defense applications.”
Joby will continue to test its new aircraft on the ground and in flight, and the company expects to begin operational demonstrations with government customers by next year.