Vertical-lift revolution: Shield AI unveils groundbreaking autonomous combat jet

Defense tech startup’s X-BAT drone could reshape aerial warfare with runway-independent operations and autonomous combat systems

By Anna Ahronheim, Jerusalem Post, October 23, 2025

https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-871359

Shield AI's X-Bats take off artist illustration (photo credit: Shield AI)

Amid growing tensions with adversarial powers in multiple theaters, American defense tech startup Shield AI has unveiled its latest unmanned aerial system, the X-BAT unmanned autonomous fighter jet with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.

The X-BAT is a Group 5 unmanned aerial vehicle featuring a low-signature airframe design paired with Shield AI’s “Hivemind” software to enable collaborative, AI-enabled flight.

The unmanned aircraft has a jet engine, a 2,000-mile range, can fly up to 50,000 feet and has the ability to take off and land vertically (V-TOL), enabling it to operate in remote locations without a runway. This capability means the X-BAT could launch from naval vessels, remote outposts, or forward operating bases, a significant advantage in regions where infrastructure is limited or under threat.

The X-BAT features a compact footprint, with up to three aircraft fitting in the deck space of one legacy fighter or helicopter, multiplying sortie generation and tempo. The 26-foot-long aircraft spans nearly 40 feet and features a tailless blended wing body design optimized for reduced radar signature.

The multirole platform is designed for strike missions, counter-air operations, electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and more. It is being built to be able to carry air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions.

Shield AI's X-Bat (credit: Shield AI)

According to a report in Defense One, the company is working with Pratt & Whitney and General Electric on F100 or F110 engines that could be installed in the X-BAT.

The platform’s Hivemind AI system enables X-BAT to autonomously penetrate contested battlespace, dynamically team with manned aircraft, and execute collaborative tactics without constant communications, a critical feature in GPS-jammed and communications-denied environments that are increasingly common in modern conflicts.

Revolutionary capabilities for modern warfare

Armor Harris, senior vice president of aircraft at Shield AI said that X-Bat’s VTOL, range and multirole capabilities along with its autonomy is a “revolution in airpower…VTOL plus range solves survivability on the ground and dependence on tankers. Multirole provides critical flexibility as the threat evolves, because no plan survives first contact with the enemy. X-Bat’s ability to autonomously operate standalone or collaboratively allows it to project power when other assets aren’t around and simplifies kill chains.”

Shield AI is one of two vendors along with RTX providing drone mission autonomy for the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, underscoring the Pentagon’s confidence in the company’s autonomous flight technology as Washington seeks to maintain military superiority.

Shield AI plans to conduct its first VTOL flights in fall 2026 and then full mission capability flights in 2028. The company says it’s on track to produce the X-BAT for around $27 million, dramatically less than traditional fighter jets and similar in price to other Collaborative Combat Aircraft platforms.

Strategic implications for regional security

“At Shield AI, we believe the greatest victory requires no war. To make that belief real, we’re executing a simple but ambitious master plan: prove the value of autonomy, scale it across domains, and reimagine airpower,” said Brandon Tseng, Shield AI co-founder, president, and former Navy SEAL. “X-BAT represents the next part of our plan, expanding US and allied warfighting capacity through a transformative, runway-independent aircraft. Airpower without runways is the holy grail of deterrence. It gives our forces persistence, reac,h and survivability, and it buys diplomacy another day.”

The technology holds particular relevance for regional security challenges. In contested environments where fixed airbases present high-value targets, the X-BAT’s runway-independent operations could enable sustained air operations even after traditional infrastructure is compromised. The platform’s autonomous capabilities also reduce risk to pilots while maintaining combat effectiveness.

Shield AI announced the unveiling of X-BAT, an AI-piloted, vertical takeoff and landing fighter jet designed for expeditionary and maritime operations in contested environments, this week. (Photo: Shield AI)