American Shield AI Pitches X-BAT Pilotless Fighter to Europe as a Strike Jet That Needs No Runway

Shield AI is promoting its X-BAT autonomous vertical-takeoff-and-landing strike aircraft to European air forces ahead of the November 3–5 International Fighter Conference in Munich. The proposed aircraft uses Hivemind autonomy and is designed to operate from ships, roads and small dispersed sites without conventional runways, carrying air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons. Shield AI advertises a range exceeding 2,000 nautical miles, but these figures describe intended performance rather than an established operational fleet capability. Poland’s PGZ and WZL-2 have signed a letter of intent covering possible industrial participation, not a binding aircraft procurement contract.