ALIA CTOL, BETA's Electric Aircraft, Debuts in U.S. Military Exercise

BETA Technologies Participates in U.S. Air
Force’s Multi-Day Agile Combat Employment Scenario
BETA’s ALIA CTOL participated in an Air National Guard-Sponsored Air Exercise that combined
over 350 Airmen from six states and various mission sets to train and evaluate their ability to
operate in a complex combat and domestic response exercise.
S. Burlington, Vermont (February 12, 2024) — Last week, electric aerospace company BETA
Technologies joined the Air National Guard in an agile combat employment (ACE) and domestic response
exercise based out of the Savannah Air Dominance Center/Combat Readiness Training Center.Operating
alongside various Air National Guard units and military aircraft, BETA’s ALIA CTOL served as the first
electric aircraft to participate in a complex Agile Combat Employment scenario, demonstrating its
operational capabilities in a week-long military mission assessment sequence.
The ACE exercise, which was hosted by the Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center, included
more than 350 Airmen from six states. During the event, those participating completed various mission
exercises to demonstrate capabilities and readiness, including relocating to bases swiftly and without a
central command, operating in dispersed locations, and simulating attack and casualty scenarios.
In a mission simulating the European theater, BETA’s ALIA CTOL served as a cargo aircraft for multiple
flights daily, integrating into scenario response alongside National Guard aircraft. BETA moved cargo from
a starting base in Savannah to three surrounding locations, conducting 16 sorties over the five day
exercise, greatly enhancing the Air Force’s mission generation capabilities. BETA’s ALIA displayed
effective response time and readiness upon dispatch, supporting the Airmen conducting live exercise
operations with key resource transport and short-notice medical missions. Specific missions that BETA’s
ALIA completed during the exercise included tactical resupply, simulated casualty evacuation, and aircraft
ground support equipment delivery to the main base in advance of an evacuation.
“Participating in this mission was an important opportunity for us to demonstrate real-world utility and
move from development testing to operationally relevant testing,” said Kyle Clark, BETA’s CEO and
Founder. “To support and operate alongside more 350 active duty airmen from across the country was an
incredible moment for learning and advancement as ALIA moves closer and closer to in-market
operations.”
BETA’s participation in these live exercises demonstrates the key impacts electric aviation can have on
military services, including faster mission generation and response time, critical cargo transport efficiency,
and cost efficiency. This simulated mission also showcased that electric aviation not only fits seamlessly
into military operations, but requires fewer resources for operation and demonstrates enhanced rapid
response capabilities.
This exercise comes off the heels of BETA wrapping its deployment with the DoD at Eglin AFB/Duke
Field. BETA’s long-standing partnership with AFWERX under the Agility Prime Program began in 2020
and has led to collaborations with the Air Force and Army that have helped accelerate the development
and adoption of electric aviation and infrastructure within the U.S. military and commercial market.
Through this partnership, BETA became the first electric aircraft developer to receive an airworthiness
certificate for manned flight from the military while also having conducted the industry’s only manned
qualitative evaluation flights with test pilots from the Air Force and Army. BETA’s ALIA flew through the
Class Bravo airspace of Boston and New York and became the first electric aircraft to fly through the
Flight Restricted Zone of Washington, D.C. to stop at Joint Base Andrews on the way to its deployment at
Eglin.
BETA continues to progress its all-electric aircraft, ALIA CTOL and ALIA VTOL, toward FAA certification,
anticipating entry into service in 2025 and 2026, respectively. Late last year, the company opened the
doors to its 188,500 square foot aircraft production facility in South Burlington, Vermont, where it has
begun manufacturing these aircraft on its production line.