After Denmark announced it would test an electric aircraft for military purposes, Slovenia plans to do the same with an identical model.
According to the Slovenian defense ministry, the country’s armed forces will test the suitability of the Pipistrel Velis Electro model for the initial training of pilots and for the renewal of the country’s flight training system.
This was announced following the visit of Slovenian defense minister Matej Tonin to the Pipistrel facility in Slovenia.
An agreement signed on the occasion of the visit will see Pipistrel provide the Ministry of Defense with a Virus SW 121 aircraft, Velis Electro aircraft, Panthera aircraft and a Velis X-Alpha VR simulator for testing.
Pipistrel will also grant pilot familiarization for the above-mentioned aircraft models to Slovenian instructors, while mechanics will receive training in the field of pre-flight inspections and basic maintenance of the said aircraft.
In June this year, Denmark announced it would launch a two-year project to assess the feasibility of electric for defense applications. Two airframes acquired for the trial will be first evaluated by experienced pilots, before serving as training airplanes for new pilots.
The Velis Electro two-seater that Denmark will test has a flight time of about 30-50 minutes and a range of just over 100 km.
