Not all Bats need a runway to launch. In a crowded market here’s a concept that stands out. Its aim: ‘Create endless dilemmas for adversaries’ ⬇️
US Mil Tech unicorn Shield AI is working on a vertical take off and landing (VTOL) uncrewed combat air vehicle. The target platform price is ~$30 million USD with a range of ~2,000km. The X Bat seeks to be capable of a range of missions including strike, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and refueling.
A concept like the X-BAT will be capable of operating from a range of locations with much less space that other manned and unmanned platforms. Islands don’t need a runway – just accessibility for the VTOL trailers and expeditionary logistics. It could change the risk calculus of forward basing, particularly with the use of alternate landing locations. Sheild AI pitches the concept as follows:
“X-BAT will serve as the leading edge of a distributed, unmanned fires network — capable of launching and recovering from ships, remote islands, or austere forward bases while eliminating dependency on traditional infrastructure.”
Now clearly a concept like this has challenges – a ten wheeled trailer and a huge X-BAT UCAV isn’t going to be easily moved in complex terrain or thickly jungled islands as an example. Australian Strategic Policy Institute has a good read on the pros and cons of the concept by Bill Sweetman worth a read. But the concept has upside – Shield AI is also seeking to develop a capability that can operate independently, rather than just teaming with manned platforms:
“Shield AI is promoting X-BAT as not only an approach to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft requirement for fighter-like drones that fly with fighters; the company also promotes it as an aircraft that can operate in autonomous formations, without a crewed aircraft to act as Nanny.”
Let’s see how X-BAT evolution develops – Sheild AI is targeting first flight this year and production by 2029 (and an annual production rate of ~ 150 platforms). If it proves feasible expect fast followers on the side of the free and the autocrats to replicate and innovate quickly!
📷 via Shield AI – links to Shield AI’s page, the ASPI article quoted and a good piece from The War Zone on this concept are in the comments.