The latest infusion of funds, channeled through the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, focuses specifically on Defense Exportability Features. This follows a previous $50 million award granted in August under the Runway Independent Maritime Expeditionary Strike effort, which was also matched by Shield AI’s private capital. The combined resources support an engineering team of 500, including partners like GE Aerospace, currently preparing the aircraft for its inaugural flight tests scheduled for later this year.
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Shield AI Secures $400 Million for X-BAT Fighter Development
The U.S. Navy has authorized a $150 million modification to its existing agreement with Shield AI to accelerate the X-BAT vertical takeoff fighter. This government investment, matched by an equal capital contribution from the company, pushes total public and private funding for the autonomous aircraft program to $400 million.
Designed to operate in GPS-denied and communication-constrained environments, the X-BAT utilizes Shield AI’s Hivemind software as its primary pilot. The aircraft is intended to launch and recover from ships, islands, and austere sites, bypassing the need for traditional runways. According to J.J. "Yank" Cummings, the company's head of mission solutions, the objective is to integrate the platform into existing naval air wing operations without disrupting current high-tempo flight deck activities.
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