Shield AI Debuts Plans for New AI-Powered Fighter Jet
No runways required.
Shield AI’s planned X-BAT fighter jet is compact, with a range of more than 2,000 nautical miles.
Source: Shield AI
Defense tech startup Shield AI unveiled a new fighter jet called the X-BAT — an autonomous vehicle powered by artificial intelligence that doesn’t require a runway or GPS to fly.
The company expects to start testing the new jet in 2026, it said Wednesday, and aims to have it ready to fly in military operations in 2028. The X-BAT will have a range of more than 2,000 nautical miles with a full payload and is expected to cost about $1 billion to become “operationally capable,” the company said.