The Agility Prime program is helping to speed up progress in the vertical lift aircraft industry by supporting new developments for both commercial uses and military purposes.
About
Agility Prime is the Air Force’s transformative vertical lift program that is partnering with the Advanced Air Mobility commercial industry to propel the third revolution in aerospace.
Coalescence of Three Key Technology Areas
- Electric: Large distributed electric or hybrid-electric propulsion systems
- Autonomy: Increasing automation and Simplified Vehicle Operations
- Manufacturing: Advanced manufacturing and materials
U.S. Technological Leadership and Accelerating Transition of Advanced Air Mobility and other Agile Combat Employment-Enabling Technologies
- Strategic: Access to zero emission and runway independent aircraft
- Process: Establish new technology transition paths with contracts, certification, and budgeting
- Product: Field operationally relevant air mobility from over 60 potential use cases
Collaborative Risk Reduction
- Technical: Opportunities for collaborative test and evaluation
- Regulatory: Early military airworthiness review, NASA, and FAA partnerships
- Financial: Contracts for testing and early use cases
Diverse partnerships
- Academia: Support research institutions by accelerating technologies through Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs
- Industry: Foster industrial base relationships and capabilities
- Investor: Build relationships across the investment ecosystem through AFVentures
- Interagency: Enable increased collaboration with the FAA and NASA
- State and Local: Identify and partner with initial operations markets
- International: Identify potential markets and coalition partners
- Acquisition: Identify future program office partnerships and technology transition pathways
- Laboratory: Support technology development and demonstration
- Warfighter: Inform future capability planning, near-term use cases, and collaboration across the DoD
Work With Agility Prime
Agility Prime is pursuing prototype projects that will help the government assess the transformative vertical flight market and technologies. As these systems mature toward certified commercial operations, the Government will identify opportunities for early adoption, with the potential for procurement and fielding through this ICO. Note that companies can only apply to the ICO under an active Area of Interest (AOI).
SBIR/STTR Support
History
Program launch, Air Race submissions open
APR2020First two companies to Air Race phase 3
JUN2020First military airworthiness baseline for electric aircraft testing established
JUL2020- DEC2020
Four companies flying prototypes
AUG2021Agility Prime awards STRATFIs to four companies
OCT2023Air Race submissions close
DEC2023Prime partner completes 500+ mile hydrogen-electric test flight
JUL2024