Shield AI launches X-BAT unmanned VTOL strike jet concept

An artist's rendering of the X-BAT that Shield AI is developing to be a runway-independent unmanned VTOL strike jet. (Shield AI)

US company Shield AI is developing an unmanned vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) ‘strike jet' for runway-free operations.

Named X-BAT, the concept revealed by the company on 21 October is billed as being a fully autonomous multirole jet that can be quickly and easily deployed at scale to bring mass to bear at short notice and in remote locations.

“As defence rapidly evolves, militaries face new threats, demanding systems that deploy faster, scale easier, and perform reliably in modern combat. This shift is fuelling a market for technologies that unite powerful software, adaptable aircraft, and proven performance in the field,” Shield AI said.

High-end capabilities

Promotional imagery and video released by Shield AI to coincide with the official launch of the X-BAT show it to have a length of 26 ft (7.9 m) and a wingspan of 39 ft (11.9 m). Performance specifications give it a service ceiling in excess of 50,000 ft and a range of 2,000 n miles (3,704 km), while its dash speed is given by the manufacturer as “classified”.

X-BAT is of a low-observable (LO) flying-wing ‘stealth' design, with folding wings that allow it to be transported on a truck trailer to its intended take-off site before being raised vertically and launched via its single thrust-vectoring afterburning jet turbofan engine. The initial climb-out sees the aircraft attain an altitude of approximately 1,600 ft before nosing over for the transition to near-horizontal wing-borne flight and further climb to its transit and/or operating altitude. Once the mission is complete, the X-BAT returns to its launch site or a forward-deployed pre-prepared site and is recovered vertically back onto the truck trailer.