The Wire · live GRID-REF 37°47′N 122°25′W
DISPATCH 03/26 · 11 Sep 2026
BattlePolicy
Startup to front line. Strategy to consequence.
Tag

vtol

8 articles
2
EuropePro

Victor U250

The Victor U250 is a German hybrid-electric heavy-lift cargo drone from ERC System, an IABG subsidiary, built to carry up to 250 kg over 300 km for battlefield resupply — targeting the gap between small cargo drones and crewed helicopters, with Rheinmetall backing production.

3
USAPro

Shield AI X-BAT

Shield AI's X-BAT is a runway-independent, tail-sitting VTOL autonomous combat jet flown by the company's Hivemind AI pilot — a claimed 3,700+ km range from a trailer launcher, no runway required, with first flight planned for late 2026 and a production pitch to Poland.

4
USAPro

Anduril Bolt-M

Anduril's man-portable VTOL loitering munition — AI-guided, returnable if no strike, and the U.S. Marine Corps' first squad-level autonomous organic precision fires system, ordered under the $249M OPF-L program.

5
EuropePro

Stark Virtus

Germany's combat-proven eVTOL loitering munition — a VTOL, AI-guided one-way attacker that pairs with reconnaissance drones for EW-resilient precision strikes.

6
EuropePro

Tekever AR3

Portugal's combat-hardened tactical ISR drone — a gasoline-powered fixed-wing UAS with VTOL kit, proven over 10,000 flight hours in Ukraine, now doubling as the RAF's StormShroud EW platform and expanding rapidly across NATO markets.

7
IsraelPro

Orbiter 4

Israel's Aeronautics Orbiter 4 is a Group 3 tactical UAS that packs 12 kg dual-payload ISR capability — EO/IR, SAR, SIGINT — into a 50 kg airframe with a 24-hour endurance and field-switchable VTOL option, already combat-proven in Gaza as the IAF's Nitzoz.

8
USAPro

Shield AI V-BAT

Shield AI's ducted-fan VTOL tail-sitter – a runway-independent ISR and targeting drone that proved it can operate deep inside Russian electronic warfare and cue precision fires for Ukrainian forces.