BETA Technologies (“BETA” or “the Company”), developer of a fully integrated electric aviation ecosystem, announced a contract with the U.S. Army to support its operational flight test program. This is BETA’s second partnership with a branch of the United States Armed Forces, and will allow engineers from the Company and the Army to collaborate on the further development and certification of ALIA, BETA’s electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

With this partnership, the Army and BETA will advance ALIA’s flight capabilities and testing programs, and further develop real-world, in-theater applications for the Company’s aircraft and technology. Army engineers will work alongside the BETA team to evaluate mission applicability, including measures of range, altitude, endurance, and payload limits, before testing specific cargo and logistics missions.

“This partnership with the Army marks another important step in the military’s commitment to advancing and adopting sustainable electric aviation solutions,” said Kyle Clark, BETA’s CEO and Founder. “We’re gratified by the continued support of the sector, and this allows us to accelerate our development of ALIA as an incredibly safe and reliable logistics aircraft for both military and civil applications.”

Continued Success and Expertise

This partnership with the Army follows BETA’s continued progress and growth, which includes multiple industry-first accomplishments and technical milestones for ALIA, as well as impactful additions to the team.

In the past year, BETA has:

● Advanced to the next phase of its flight testing program after completing interstate flights, flying ALIA multiple times between the Plattsburgh, N.Y. airport and its headquarters at Burlington International Airport in Vermont. To achieve this, BETA completed comprehensive testing that ensured reliable and predictable aircraft handling and performance, as required by FAA protocols.

● BETA was awarded the first-ever airworthiness approval for a manned electric aircraft by the U.S. Air Force, marking a critical step toward confidence in and adoption of this technology.

● ALIA set a company and industry record for endurance, range, and altitude with a 205-mile flight and 8000ft altitudes. BETA also added new military expertise to its ranks with the appointment of Dr. Will Roper, former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, to its Board of Directors. With his decades of experience across defense, systems, technology and investment, Dr. Roper brings to BETA deep relationships and additional opportunities within the defense sector.

Growing Base of Partners and Customers

With today’s news, the U.S. Army becomes BETA’s second military partner. The Company has an existing partnership with the U.S. Air Force, which continues to participate in the BETA flight test campaigns as a part of its innovative USAF Agility Prime program. In addition to growing its relationships within the defense sector, BETA’s pragmatic design and technological excellence have attracted a diverse and growing base of partners and customers across cargo, medical and commercial applications. UPS has reserved the right to purchase 150 of BETA’s aircraft, as well as its charging stations for an end-to-end solution; BETA’s first customer and partner, United Therapeutics (UT), will rely on BETA’s aircraft and charging stations as part of an integrated solution to deliver organs for human transplantation, UT’s subsidiary Revivicor recently supplied the heart for the first pig-to-human transplantation, paving the way for an unlimited supply of organs; and Blade Urban Air Mobility, BETA’s first passenger service customer, ordered five ALIA aircraft.