X-BAT Drone

Full Specifications

X-BAT VTOL AI Fighter Drone: Shield AI’s Autonomous Wingman

The X-BAT represents a significant advancement in unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), combining vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities with high-performance fighter-like attributes and cutting-edge artificial intelligence. Developed as a loyal wingman and independent operator, it addresses key challenges in modern contested environments, particularly the vulnerability of traditional airbases to long-range strikes.

Manufacturer

Shield AI, a San Diego-based U.S. defense technology company founded in 2015, designed and developed the X-BAT. The aircraft integrates the company’s proprietary Hivemind AI autonomy system, enabling advanced decision-making with minimal human intervention. It is powered by a GE Aerospace F110 turbofan engine, the same used in F-15 and F-16 fighters, supporting supersonic potential and robust VTOL performance.

Speed and Range

The X-BAT achieves a combat radius of approximately 1,000 nautical miles and a maximum range exceeding 2,000 nautical miles (about 3,700 km), allowing extended operations far from forward bases. It features a service ceiling above 50,000 feet and emphasizes stealth with a low-observable tailless flying-wing design, internal weapons bays, and reduced radar signature. Exact maximum speed remains classified but is expected to support supersonic dashes.

Cost/Price

While exact unit pricing is not publicly disclosed, estimates place it in the range of other Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programs, around $30 million per airframe—significantly lower than manned fifth-generation fighters on a lifecycle cost basis.

The X-BAT is engineered for multi-role missions including air-to-air combat, precision strikes, electronic warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). Its compact footprint allows three aircraft to occupy the deck space of one conventional fighter, facilitating expeditionary and naval deployments from trailers, ships, or austere sites. Folding wings aid transportability.

Hivemind AI supports autonomous maneuvering, swarm coordination, and operations in GPS-denied environments, making it suitable for high-threat scenarios against peer adversaries. It can carry 2,000-pound-class weapons internally or externally, with sensor suites for full-spectrum targeting.