Joby completed the first flight of a hybrid-electric aircraft, built in partnership with L3Harris, combining its eVTOL design with a turbine engine.
This design is explicitly intended for dual-use: battlefield logistics and reconnaissance, as well as air taxi missions.
L3Harris projects it being used as a “loyal wingman” for manned aircraft as soon as next year.
The U.S. defense budget request for FY 2026 includes over $9 billion for hybrid and autonomous aircraft.
Take-away: This is a concrete step toward fielding autonomous, long-endurance companion aircraft — not just small drones, but higher-performance unmanned systems integrated with traditional platforms.
