Poland’s Armament Agency has finalised a contract with Shield AI to purchase V-BAT vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) for Polish Navy missions.
The newly acquired V-BAT drones are set to operate from a Polish Navy vessel, enhancing the country’s maritime domain awareness and delivering intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) support.
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Shield AI said the acquisition will provide Polish military with cost-effective support and improves commanders’ situational awareness regarding potential activity and threats.
Shield AI president, co-founder, and chief strategy officer Ryan Tseng said: “V-BAT has proven its capabilities in Ukraine and beyond, particularly in environments where communications and GPS links are disrupted or denied.
“Operations in the Baltic Sea, where security threats against critical energy and communications infrastructure are becoming more frequent, demand reliable sensor platforms and systems in all weather conditions and sea states.”
Shield AI’s V-BAT UAV belongs to the Group 3 category of vertical take-off and landing systems and uses a ducted-fan design with a heavy-fuel engine.
The UAV has an endurance of over 12 hours, according to the company.
The Nato Class I VTOL system is designed to function in electronic warfare settings, offering ISR and targeting functions at what the company claims is a lower cost and with a reduced logistical requirement compared to larger NATO Class II and III UAVs.
Powered by its single-engine, enclosed-rotor design, V-BAT can be launched and recovered from ship decks or urban rooftops without assistance, making it suitable for diverse operational environments including maritime and expeditionary tasks.
The drone was also selected for the US Coast Guard Maritime Unmanned Aircraft System Services programme and has been deployed with various units of the US Navy and Marine Expeditionary Units.
Last year, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence also procured eight V-BAT systems from Shield AI for deployment with the Royal Netherlands Navy and Marine Corps.
