The US Navy has committed an additional $150 million to Shield AI's X-BAT autonomous fighter drone, with the company matching that amount from its own funds. Combined with earlier funding under the RIMES program and Shield AI's previous match, total investment now stands at $400 million. The aircraft, unveiled last year, is designed to operate from ships without runways, using vertical takeoff and landing to expand where naval strike assets can be based.
X-BAT is a tail-sitter: it rises vertically, transitions to level flight, and lands back on its launcher. Shield AI says it measures 26 feet long with a 39-foot wingspan, exceeds 2,000 nautical miles in range, and is expected to fly at supersonic speeds. The drone relies on the company's Hivemind autonomy software, which has already been tested aboard a modified F-16 in dogfights against human pilots.
Flight testing is slated to begin later this year, with mission capability targeted for 2028. The aircraft has completed engine light-off, thrust-vectoring nozzle integration, and wind-tunnel validation of its weapons bay aerodynamics. The UK Royal Navy, which operates carriers without catapults or arrestor gear, is also exploring runway-free combat drones under Project VANQUISH, and the X-BAT could be a candidate for that program.