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.
A runway-independent, ducted-fan VTOL uncrewed aircraft that provides long-endurance ISR and targeting in GPS- and comms-denied environments, fielded by the US and allied forces and proven under Russian electronic warfare in Ukraine.
Overview
The V-BAT, designated MQ-35A in US service, is a Group 3 tail-sitter unmanned aerial system built around a single enclosed ducted fan. Shield AI designed it for expeditionary intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting (ISR-T) from land or ships without runways, and markets it as delivering “Group 4/5 capability in a Group 3 package.” The airframe is paired with the company’s Hivemind AI pilot, which allows flight in GPS- and communications-denied environments – a feature that has anchored its rapid adoption by the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, as well as a widening set of international operators from Japan to Ukraine.
Development
Shield AI acquired the original V-BAT airframe from Martin UAV in 2021 and fused it with the Hivemind autonomy stack that had already flown quadcopters, unmanned jets and F-16-class surrogate aircraft, according to company records collated by Wikipedia. A three-ship autonomous teaming demonstration under an AFWERX contract followed in August 2023, after which the company announced swarm capability. The most significant hardware step came in April 2025, when Shield AI unveiled a block upgrade that added satellite-communications (SATCOM), a JP-5 heavy-fuel engine, and fully unassisted vertical takeoff and landing. By early 2025 Shield AI had raised $240 million at a $5.3 billion valuation, with strategic investors including L3Harris and Hanwha, reflecting rapid growth of the platform’s order book.
🔒 The rest of the Shield AI V-BAT file is for BattlePolicy Pro members. Stop here and you miss the part that actually matters: how it performs and where it falls short, its combat record, how it stacks up head-to-head against its real counterparts, the complete specifications table, and our analysts’ procurement, supplier and assessment notes. Unlock the full file with BattlePolicy Pro →