A New AI-Piloted VTOL Fighter Jet for Contested Environments

October 30, 2025

Shield AI unveiled the new AI-powered X-BAT during an event in Washington D.C. on October 22, 2025. (Image: Shield AI)

Shield AI unveiled its new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) fighter jet, X-BAT, during an event held in Washington D.C. last week.

“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 that plan, expanding U.S. and allied warfighting capacity through a transformative, runway-independent aircraft. Airpower without runways is the holy grail of deterrence. It gives our forces persistence, reach, and survivability, and it buys diplomacy another day.”

At the core of X-BAT is Shield AI’s Hivemind, AI-enabled autonomy software designed to fly platforms in communications-denied, degraded, and limited environments. Hivemind enables X-BAT to autonomously penetrate contested battlespace, dynamically team with manned aircraft, and execute collaborative tactics without constant communications. This autonomy allows X-BAT to function as a drone wingman or as a standalone asset.

“X-BAT is a revolution in airpower because it combines four things – VTOL, range, multirole capability, and autonomy,” said Armor Harris, Senior Vice President of Aircraft at Shield AI. “VTOL plus range solves survivability on the ground and dependency 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.”

Another image of Shield AI’s new X-BAT VTOL fighter jet. (Image: Shield AI)

X-BAT has a wingspan of 39 feet with a 4G maneuver load factor and an operating ceiling of 50,000 feet. The jet can be vertically launched with no runway, as Shield AI provides a mobile launching platform to get X-BAT airborne.

Together, these attributes translate into a combat aircraft purpose-built for distributed, high-end conflict. X-BAT’s design combines survivability, flexibility, and affordability in a way that provides unparalleled cost per effect to the joint force. Key capabilities include:

VTOL + long range: The only platform in its class to combine VTOL with a range of more than 2,000 nautical miles with full mission payload, enabling theater-scale operations from ships, islands, and austere sites.
Multirole: Capable of strike, counter air, electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, and more.
Compact footprint: Up to three X–BATs fit in the deck space of one legacy fighter or helicopter, multiplying sortie generation and tempo.
Proven engine: Designed around a proven fighter-class powertrain to ensure reliability, maintainability, and logistics maturity.
Affordable and attritable: Built to deliver fighter-class performance at an order-of-magnitude lower acquisition and lifecycle cost than fifth-generation jets.
Survivability by design: Autonomy, adaptive tactics, and signature management enable mission success in contested environments.
Hivemind autonomy: Operates in denied, degraded, and comms-limited conditions, collaborating as a digital wingman.
Open architecture: Platform-agnostic design integrates with current and future Air Force and Navy concepts, enabling scalable, distributed combat mass.