1We Built the First X-BAT Prototype in One Year. Now We Put it to the Test.shield.aiHigh11·04 14:30Z
Shield announced on November 4, 2026, that its first full-scale X-BAT prototype is complete and in transit from its development facility in Frisco, Texas, to its flight test facility in Newton, Kansas1. Shield describes X-BAT as an autonomous vertical-takeoff-and-landing strike fighter built in one year. The company stated the test campaign will begin with engine runs and progress through tethered and untethered vertical flights, with Navy subject matter experts collaborating on wind tunnel, engine, and thermal testing over the past year.