Overview
- Revealed at a private Washington, D.C., event, X-BAT is pitched to fly as a drone wingman or operate independently as Shield AI’s first unmanned fighter offering.
- Shield AI says the jet-powered aircraft will have roughly a 2,000-mile range, a 50,000-foot ceiling, and vertical takeoff and landing for operations from ships or remote sites.
- The aircraft is designed to be AI-piloted by Shield AI’s Hivemind, building on deployments of V-BAT with Marines, reported Ukrainian use, and an X-62A VISTA autonomy demonstration witnessed by Air Force leadership.
- The company estimates production at about $27 million per aircraft, a figure it has not yet validated through flight testing.
- A VTOL demo is planned by fall 2026 with a full flight test in 2028, as Shield AI positions the concept for evolving Air Force and Navy CCA efforts and is reportedly providing autonomy for Anduril’s CCA bid.