Shield AI has received an order from the Netherlands for eight V-BAT unmanned aircraft systems, which will benefit the Royal Netherlands Navy and Marine Corps intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.
Announced at the recent “Maritime Uncrewed” event, the deal is part of the Dutch Ministry of Defence’s plan to deploy battle-proven, autonomy-enabled systems that do not require GNSS for navigation in contested environments.
Shield AI said V-BAT is capable of delivering combat-proven, expeditionary, strategic and tactical-level ISR without spending as much as having a Group 4 or 5 drone. The UAS comes with several features, including an industry-leading max takeoff weight-to-payload ratio, and fully unassisted launch and landing capabilities.
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According to Shield AI President and co-founder Brandon Tseng, V-BAT fits the Dutch military’s requirements as it readies for dynamic, distributed and high-stakes operations.
“The Netherlands has a strong reputation for fielding cutting-edge capabilities quickly and effectively, and it’s great to see them join a growing list of U.S. allies and partners choosing V-BAT for its flexibility, performance and mission readiness,” he said.
V-BAT powers other nations’ surveillance and monitoring needs as well. In January, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force turned to Shield AI to gain its first maritime-based ISR platform, expanding the nation’s surveillance and intel-gathering capabilities.