Aeralis brought a replica of its modular jet design to DIMDEX 2022. (Agnes Helou/Staff)

Correction 3/23/22 at 2:20 pm ET  The original version of this piece misspelled John Langford’s name. This story has been updated. 

DIMDEX 2022: Unlike other Gulf defense conglomerates and companies, which focus primarily on teaming with international companies to bring technology transfer back to the home nation, Qatari firm Barzan holdings takes a different tact: serving as an early capitol investor for international aerospace and defense firms.

It’s an unusual strategy for firms from the region, one akin to the kind of early investment seen in Silicon Valley. But like those investment firms, the return could be notable should even one of the technologies being invested in become a hit.

Among the firm’s investments are US-based Electra.aero, a company looking to develop electric, short takeoff and landing airplanes, and UK-based Aeralis, which is developing a modular military training jet. Both firms were well represented at this week’s DIMDEX conference in Qatar.

“Barzan Holdings is a seed investor with a significant investment to the whole company, but the size of investment can’t be disclosed,” Electra.aero CEO John Langford told Breaking Defense. “Barzan Holdings is an equity investor, so it owns a portion of the company.”

Barzan is helping fund a facility in Charleston, South Carolina, which Electra.aero will be a part of. But according to Langford, Electra.aero is hoping to eventually have launch facilities and production lines in Barzan’s native Qatar.

“There are examples internationally and in the region of entities providing very advanced composite materials to Airbus and Boeing and others, we would like to go to the next step beyond that to Qatar and to eventually to do whole aircraft production at the appropriate time,” Langford said about the company’s strategy.

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Electra.aero aircraft is still at the prototype stage, but the company expects to fly the technology demonstrator which is a two-seat version of the aircraft by the end of 2022. In 2021, the US Air Force signed a contract with the company to look into development hybrid-electric propulsion systems for planes that can take off with less than a 150 foot runway.

“The design is finished and is in the manufacture phase. Regarding the full-scale aircraft, it is expected to be rolled out as soon as 2024, and to be certified into production by 2027,” Langford told Breaking Defense.

While it is unknown how much Barzan has invested in Electra Aero, it is public that the Qatari-firm has invested $14 million in Aeralis during the 2021 DSEI show. The company was a big feature of the first day of DIMDEX, with a ceremony unveiling two full-scale replicas of the company’s modular jet that was attended by the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

One of the two models had Barzan Holdings logo on it and decorated with livery inspired by the Qatari Emiri Air Force (QEAF)- reflecting the company’s aspirations of customers.

The other aircraft, in a light attack configuration, was tagged with only the Aeralis logo, and was showcased in a semi-disassembled state to demonstrate how the common-core fuselage can form the basis of a number of other aircraft variants.

The aircraft models are life-sized replicas of the two variants of the Aeralis modular jet, with a length of 11.3m and a wingspan of 10m. The replicas were produced in the UK and shipped to Qatar specifically for this event

“We are developing innovative modular aircraft system, it has one fuselage and different wings and engines, so the wing and engine can be changed depending on the mission. This creates a lot of efficiency for the operator, with one fleet of airplane that does everything,” Aeralis CEO Tristan Crawford told Breaking Defense.

He added that Aeralis does all the design and integration, while working with a number of other companies, including Rolls-Royce for the engine, Thales for the avionics, Siemens for the data system, and Martin Baker for ejection seats.

The trainer is expected to fly by the end of 2024, and then go for certification phase and start production by 2027.

“The advanced trainer jet the Qatari Emiri Air Force might use as a future training aircraft system, but nothing is decided yet,” Crawford said. “Our negotiations include how we grow some of our programs in Qatar,” but he didn’t respond to Breaking Defense question about the particular programs.

“From Aeralis’ perspective our ambition regarding the Gulf region is to offer an air support service, operational training, tanking and autonomous flying services,” Crawford added.

He disclosed that the company is in discussions with many customers at the moment.