Shield AI completes first full-scale X-BAT and sends it for flight testing
Prepared by Sintelligent with the help of SI. Published in SI: . Updated: .
An autonomous aircraft that does not need a runway has progressed from drawings to a full-scale prototype, but its decisive test will come in the air.
According to Shield AI's description, the autonomous vertical-takeoff-and-landing jet prototype was built within a year of the concept's unveiling. The aircraft is being moved from the development facility in Frisco, Texas, to the flight-test facility in Newton, Kansas. This takes the program from design and ground preparation to testing a full-scale aircraft; its stated autonomous and combat capabilities still need to be demonstrated in testing.
Sources 1