MCMINNVILLE, Oregon—Phenix Solutions announced the award of a U.S. Air Force Phase II contract for agile manufacturing for the Ultra 2XL Heavy Lift VTOL Aircraft.

Phenix is working with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate to accelerate the development and deployment of transformative vertical takeoff and landing aircraft under this effort.

The Phase II contract focuses on implementing streamlined procurement, accounting and production processes and procedures. It also involves establishing a state-of-the-art production facility to validate the companies’ manufacturing strategies to ensure production can meet the forecasted demand for the Ultra 2XL at scale.

“I am pleased to announce the continuation of our partnership with the USAF on the Phase II contract for agile manufacturing,” said Brian Riese, president and CEO of Phenix Solutions. “We’ve built the production capability from the ground up, and this collaboration will allow us to rapidly scale the manufacturing process, which will lead to reduced costs and faster lead times while ensuring high levels of quality are built into every Ultra 2XL that rolls off the production line.”

Phenix is also collaborating with the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership team in parallel with the Phase II effort. Phenix and OMEP are focused on enhanced “factory of the future” technologies that are being implemented on the shop floor, such as innovative ways to display and distribute work instructions, tools, and process control to maximum efficiency.