Poland could build Shield AI's X-BAT, the AI-piloted jet Europe doesn't have
At Eurosatory, the US firm Shield AI is courting Warsaw to produce its autonomous VTOL fighter, the kind of program a fragmented Europe has yet to fly after FCAS collapsed.
At Eurosatory, the US firm Shield AI is courting Warsaw to produce its autonomous VTOL fighter, the kind of program a fragmented Europe has yet to fly after FCAS collapsed.
Shield AI has offered Poland a role building the X-BAT, its AI-piloted vertical-takeoff fighter, with some manufacturing potentially moving to the country, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at a June 16 press conference in Warsaw, Defense News reported. "Their intention is to also cooperate with Poland, and to produce in Poland, for the X-BAT program, the first autonomous combat aircraft in the world," Tusk said.
The San Diego firm is showing a 45% scale model of the jet at Eurosatory in Paris this week. The offer reaches Warsaw as Poland weighs buying up to 32 new fighters, with the F-35, Eurofighter and F-15EX in the running, and as it considers joining the GCAP sixth-generation program. Shield AI has also floated a Polish servicing line and an F-16 engine hub for NATO allies, Aerospace Global News reported.
X-BAT takes off vertically tail-first, flies more than 3,700 km without GPS or a radio link, and lands back on a rail, Defence Blog reported. A modified GE F110-GE-129 turbofan, the engine family in many F-16s, drives that cycle through a thrust-vectoring nozzle. Folding wings cut the airframe to a third of a conventional fighter's footprint, and the company says three fit the deck space of one legacy jet. The autonomy is Hivemind, the piloting software Shield AI has flown on more than 30 platforms since 2019. First vertical flight is set for this year, mission capability for 2028.
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Subscribe Free →That timeline is the catch, and so is the map. Europe has no flying VTOL equivalent. The trilateral FCAS program collapsed on June 8, and Airbus's Wingman, Helsing's CA-1 and the GCAP demonstrator are all years from combat, EscudoDigital reported; none take off vertically. Anduril, General Atomics and Kratos are already opening European lines to sell their own autonomous designs. For Warsaw, the X-BAT offer is a choice between buying autonomous airpower from an American prime now and waiting on a European one still on the drawing board. Tusk has not committed, and Shield AI's first vertical flight is yet to happen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Shield AI offer Poland?
A role in the X-BAT program, with some aircraft manufacturing potentially moving to Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on June 16, per Defense News.
What is the X-BAT?
An AI-piloted vertical-takeoff combat jet from San Diego's Shield AI, billed as the world's first autonomous VTOL fighter, shown at Eurosatory 2026 as a 45% scale model, per Defence Blog and Defense News.
How does it fly without runways?
It takes off vertically tail-first using a thrust-vectoring GE F110-GE-129 turbofan, transitions to horizontal flight, and lands back on a rail, Defence Blog reported. Shield AI claims a range over 3,700 km without GPS or a radio link.
When will it fly?
Shield AI targets a first vertical flight in 2026 and mission capability by 2028, after 18 months of wind tunnel and engine testing, per Defence Blog.
Why does Europe matter here?
Europe has no flying VTOL autonomous fighter. The trilateral FCAS program was canceled on June 8 and rival projects are years from combat, leaving allies weighing US suppliers, EscudoDigital reported.
Has Poland committed?
No. Tusk described it as an offer, made as Poland separately weighs buying up to 32 new fighters and considers joining the GCAP program, per Defense News.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.