No crew and no runway: Shield AI, an American defense tech company, has unveiled a new AI-driven unmanned fighter that is capable of vertical takeoffs and landings. The firm is pitching its new product to the US and allied air forces. Of course, the autonomous AI-powered fighter jet could simply be called a drone. But it’s an advanced version, designed for expeditionary and maritime operations in contested environments, Shield AI said. The X-BAT doesn’t need any runways to take off and land, and could thus transform the way US and allied air forces wage air warfare in the future. At least this is what Shield AI is betting on. “Airpower without runways is the holy grail of deterrence,” Shield AI co-founder and president Brandon Tseng said in the statement. “It gives our forces persistence, reach, and survivability, and it buys diplomacy another day.” The X-BAT fighter jet uses the company’s Hivemand software as its autonomous core (the “brain”). Hivemind enables the drone to “autonomously penetrate contested battlespace, dynamically team with manned aircraft, and execute collaborative tactics without constant communications,” Shield AI’s press release reads.

Full report : Shield AI Launches X-BAT AI-Powered Fighter Jet That Takes Off Vertically.

For more see the OODA Company Profile on Shield AI.