Air Force Receives Experimental “All-Electric” Helicopter – “Quiet” Vertical Maneuver in War?

by Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

An all-electric vertical take-off-and-landing helicopter might certainly be lighter, potentially capable of long-dwell missions depending upon the length of the charge, fast and, perhaps most of all, “quiet.” 

The Air Force is now exploring these questions with its first-of-its-kind “electric” aircraft which was delivered recently at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to the services Emerging Technologies Integrated Test Force.

The Air Force and Joby Aviation, the firm which built the aircraft, will engage in collaborative testing to explore the range military applications for the technology. An Air Force essay describes the arrival of the eVTOL aircraft and some of its attributes are described by Joby Aviation. 

“With a range of up to 100 miles plus energy reserves and a top speed of 200 mph, the Joby aircraft is capable of transporting a pilot and four passengers quickly and quietly with zero operating emissions,” Joby’s website says. 

An ability to operate “quietly” is perhaps of greatest significance for the new platform, as it could enable a kind of more survivable, quiet and therefore quasi-stealthy kind of surveillance. The aircraft certainly does not look stealthy in terms of its external configuration as all of the sharp edges and rotors would likely generate a return radar signal. However, the ability to operate quietly is an extremely valuable, survivability -enhancing attribute, particularly if the aircraft were able to hover, maneuver and fly close to the terrain with advanced sensing. 

These are likely the kinds of questions Air Force weapons developers, scientists and strategists are exploring as they assess the aircraft’s potential to perform military missions.  One possibility that comes to mind is the possibility of silent warzone force “maneuver,” meaning small groups of scouts, Special Operators, forward targeting reconnaissance forces could quietly “reposition” amid fast-changing combat. for instance, perhaps Joint Tactical Air Controls during an air-ground campaign need to reposition to light up new targets? While Joby’s arriving eVTOL aircraft only transports 4-people, it seems feasible that an aircraft powered by electrical propulsion could quietly and perhaps without any “lights” reposition critical reconnaissance or ambush forces during hostilities. This would seem to offer a low altitude vertical maneuver option for Air Force or Army forces amid conflict, particularly if the number of soldiers or airmen carried can increase in size with a larger electrical aircraft.