V-BAT
Table of Contents
V-BAT is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle originally developed by Martin UAV, now Shield AI.
In late April 2021 the United States Navy selected the V-BAT for prototyping and development.
In February 2022, Brazilian company VSK Tactical ordered an undisclosed number of V-BATs for security and monitoring roles.
On 21 December 2022, a V-BAT, together with a Skyways V2.6B UAV, made the first unmanned cargo deliveries to a US Navy ship at sea with each UAV carrying a cargo of 22.5kg 200nm (370km) onto a moving ship.
In March 2023 the United States Army announced that the V-BAT had been selected to compete in its Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) competition, Increment 2 to replace the RQ-7B Shadow. Shield AI teamed with Northrop Grumman for the competition.
On 9 October 2023 Shield AI announced that the V-BAT had a drone-swarming capability.
Specifications #
General characteristics
- Crew: none
- Length: 9 ft (2.7 m)
- Wingspan: 9.7 ft (3.0 m)
- Gross weight: 125 lb (57 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Suter TOA 288 two-cylinder engine
Performance
- Maximum speed: 56 mph (90 km/h, 49 kn)
- Endurance: 10 hours
- Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
Avionics
electro-optical (EO)/mid-wave infrared (MWIR) cameras