Army Quietly Exploring Electric Aircraft.

• Author: Heckmann, Laura

The Air Force has been the driving force of the military's electric vertical takeoff and landing efforts since piloting the vertical lift-focused Agility Prime program in 2020. But the Army is also keeping an eye on the technology.

The Army has had "pockets of activity in this technology area for quite some time," David Friedmann, an aerospace engineer with the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center's Technology Development Directorate, said in an interview.

It wasn't until about two years ago, however, that the service began to take what Friedmann called a comprehensive look at the technology. The Army's approach to eVTOL has been one of cautious investigation, largely focused on asking and answering the right questions.

"We're still in early days," Friedmann said. Initial efforts involved building a knowledge base of the right people, the right companies and lots of data.

"We've started a lot of internal analysis to give it a hard look, figure out where does it fit, [and] where can [it] actually benefit us?" he said. "I don't think we have a lot of answers yet. We have lots and lots of questions."

Among them are concerns about safety, reliability, battery weight and thermal management of electric systems, Friedmann said.

Air worthiness is another "big lingering question," said Army pilot Lt. Col. Wes Ogden. "How is the [Federal Aviation Administration] going to treat electrical propulsion and electrical energy storage for all of these eVTOL providers?... Is it safe? Is it reliable enough to be able to allow it to fly in the national airspace?"

Ultimately, Friedmann said all questions need to answer one big one: what is the best technology for acquiring a capability?

The Army's constant pursuit of state-of-the-art technology is one of three things that led it to eVTOL, Friedmann said. The other two, alignment with policy guidelines such as government climate goals and opportunities with industry partners, "really came together at the same time," he said.

"There's always a need in aviation for better speed, more payload, more range, better efficiency, lower cost," he said. "But there's the opportunity as well with the emerging industry. There's all this money being poured into it in the private sector," and with further support from partners, "[it] seemed like we ought to take a look at the technology and see what it can do for us."

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