UMEX 2026: Shield AI, LIG Nex1 partner to arm V-BAT UAVs

Shield AI has partnered with South Korea's LIG Nex1 to arm its V-BAT UAVs. (Shield AI)

South Korea's LIG Nex1 and US-based Shield AI have signed a contract to collaborate on a project to arm the latter's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The contract was signed at the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX) 2026 held in Abu Dhabi from 20 to 22 January. Under the contract, Shield AI's V-BAT vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV will be equipped with LIG Nex1's “multi-purpose drone-launched guided missile (L-MDM)”, the companies announced on 22 January.

Shield AI and LIG Nex1 said that the L-MDM is a small, lightweight air-to-ground guided missile currently under development. It can conduct precision strikes against fixed and moving targets using laser guidance, ensuring increased stand-off distance and enhanced survivability for operators, the companies added.

The L-MDM is being designed for “easy integration with existing rotary- or fixed-wing surveillance and reconnaissance” UAVs, the companies said.

The V-BAT UAV was designed to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. Integrating L-MDM into V-BAT will enable the UAV to also support combat operations.

According to company specifications, V-BAT has a wingspan of 3.8 m, a height of 2.9 m, a maximum take-off weight of 73 kg, an endurance of more than 12 hours, and an operating altitude of 18,000 ft. The UAV can be equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a laser rangefinder, a satellite communications (satcom) system, and a global navigation satellite services (GNSS) anti-jam system, among others.