IFC 2026: Shield AI rolls out first X-BAT prototype, notes strong European interest

Shield AI has completed its first full-size X-BAT prototype at Frisco, Texas, and plans an initial flight at its Kansas test range before the end of 2026. The unmanned vertical-takeoff-and-landing strike aircraft integrates a General Electric F110-GE-129 engine with thrust vectoring and the company's autonomy system. The rollout, disclosed alongside the International Fighter Conference in Munich, marks a transition from the concept unveiled in late 2025 to a physical flight-test article. Shield AI reported growing European interest, but the announcement concerns prototype development and planned testing rather than an operational deployment or a confirmed European order.