The American drone manufacturer Shield AI is looking for partners in Ukraine among manufacturers of laser-guided munitions to equip its V-BAT drone.
James Lithgow, director of Shield AI, told Militarnyi about this at the Defense Tech Innovation Forum 2025 exhibition.
“The drone can carry a combat payload, and it is already working in the United States. We are still looking for partners in Ukraine who produce laser-guided munitions to integrate them with V-BAT. We are working closely with Ukrainian partners. With all due respect, I cannot tell you who they are, but we are working with them,” he said.
He also added that the company, in addition to its permanent office in Kyiv, has opened a R&D and provides trainings for drone operators.
According to him, these drones have already been successfully used deep in the occupied territories, confirming their maximum range of 150 km. During such missions, the primary objective is to gather targeting data on enemy air defense and electronic warfare systems.
Optical sensors of the V-BAT drone at the Defense Tech Innovation Forum 2025 exhibition – Militarnyi
The drone itself does not require a repeater but can function as one for other strike-capable systems. According to the company’s director, they plan to supply such repeaters to Ukraine soon.
V-BAT
On January 12, 2025, it became known that the Ukrainian Defense Forces received new Shield AI MQ-35A V-BAT drones
At the time, it was reported that V-BAT had already conducted its first autonomous reconnaissance mission on the Ukrainian front lines. The drone weighs 56.5 kg, of which up to 11 kg is the payload. It can stay in the air for up to 10 hours.
Ukrainian V-Bat drone. February 2025. Ukraine. Source: Unmanned Systems Forces
The drone’s reconnaissance capabilities are provided by a powerful optoelectronic station. It is equipped with a sensitive MWIR thermal imaging sensor, and artificial intelligence is used to detect and recognize targets.
The main feature of this drone is its vertical takeoff and landing on a platform measuring only 4×4 meters. Moreover, takeoff and landing can be performed automatically without GPS.
In August 2024, the Russian military reported that Ukrainian bomber drones used laser-guided bombs.
It is known that the Ukrainian defense industry has long been working on adjusted ammunition to improve the efficiency of drone bombers. In particular, the development of such ammunition is supported by innovative projects of the Brave1 technology cluster.
Top Photo: V-BAT drone at the Defense Tech Innovation Forum 2025 exhibition – Militarnyi
Source: Militarnyi