MEET X-BAT: AMERICA’S NEW AI-POWERED FIGHTER JET WITH NO PILOT

🇺🇸 MEET X-BAT: AMERICA’S NEW AI-POWERED FIGHTER JET WITH NO PILOT

Shield AI just unveiled the X-Bat, a next-gen fighter jet that flies itself, takes off like a helicopter, and doesn’t need a runway.

It’s powered by Hivemind, their custom AI pilot, and can fly 2,000 miles, reach 50,000 feet, and pack missiles.

It’s built for combat, can launch from a ship in the middle of nowhere, and costs just $27 million, compared to the $100M+ F-35.

The X-Bat reflects a fast-growing trend in warfare: AI-driven drones taking the lead. In Ukraine, drones have become central to modern combat, shifting the way battles are fought.

Drone expert and senior aviation lecturer at UNSW Canberra, Oleksandra Molloy:

“What we see from the war in Ukraine and the Middle East, they are tactically, operationally and strategically absolutely important weapons.

We have seen a lack of those systems from the U.S., and particularly, we have not really seen the presence of many American companies in the real battlefield.”

The U.S. government is now racing to catch up.

In June, Trump signed an executive order called Unleashing American Drone Dominance, designed to fast-track drone commercialization and fold AI-powered aircraft into U.S. airspace - with billions from the Big Beautiful Bill fueling unmanned and AI defense tech.

Shield AI is aiming to disrupt the defense giants and already landed a $200M Coast Guard deal.

Backed by $5.3B in funding and a nudge from Trump’s Drone Dominance order, Shield AI says it’s building the future of war.