American defense and aerospace startup Shield AI has announced the start of training with Unmanned Systems Forces fighters to prepare Ukrainians to work with the V-BAT, a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone that has proven itself well in countering electronic warfare.
American defense and aerospace startup Shield AI has announced the start of training with Unmanned Systems Forces fighters to prepare Ukrainians to work with the V-BAT, a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone that has proven itself well in countering electronic warfare.
As noted in the press release, to fully support Ukrainian forces, Shield AI decided to establish a presence in Ukraine and opened an office in Kyiv with a team of engineers, mission operations staff, and technical specialists. Shield AI has already begun working with Ukrainian Armed Forces operators and conducting training that will prepare them for the deployment of V-BAT on the front lines.
«The presence of the Shield AI team in Ukraine is an important step in enhancing our operational capabilities. Their efforts ensure that our forces will be well-prepared for the challenges they face in frontline conditions,» noted the senior commander of the Unmanned Systems Training Group during a recent field visit with service members and the local Shield AI team.
The V-BAT is a drone designed for sustained operations in challenging environments, providing strategic capabilities on par with larger and more expensive platforms. It is claimed to be capable of deep penetration missions in GPS and communications-free environments and countering modern electronic warfare, while remaining robust and adaptable. The V-BAT recently demonstrated its versatility during naval operations in the Black Sea.
«The V-BAT is the most cost-effective strategic strike drone. In Ukraine, it targeted strategic Russian anti-aircraft missile systems while GPS and communications were blocked. It doesn’t require a runway, which, as everyone knows, is a large, stationary first-strike missile sponge that will be destroyed on the first day of any conflict», — said Brandon Tseng, president, co-founder of Shield AI, and a former Navy SEAL.
According to him, drones are not the future of war, they are «the way war is fought today».
«It’s just that most of the world is lagging behind and still devoting resources to expensive, vulnerable systems that have no chance on the battlefield. Our adversaries laugh behind closed doors as we spend tens of millions on outdated systems that are destroyed from the sky by $1 million missiles,» Tseng added.
In 2023, Shield AI was among 8 tech startups with a valuation of over $1 billion. Its clients include the US Air Force and Army, as well as the Brazilian Armed Forces. Earlier, the startup noted that Ukrainian fighters lose 10,000 drones every month due to Russian electronic warfare, so Shield AI decided to borrow Ukraine’s experience and improve American drones.
This is a defense technology venture company founded in 2015. Its goal is to protect military personnel and civilians with intelligent systems. As part of this mission, Shield AI is creating «the world’s best AI pilot.»
Its AI pilot Hivemind flew jets (F-16; MQM-178 Firejet), a vertical take-off and landing drone (MQ-35 V-BAT), and three quadcopters (Nova, Nova 2, iPRD).
With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, and internationally, Shield AI’s products and employees are currently actively supporting the operations of the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. allies in the field.
