Shield AI offers X‑Bat to replace Army MQ‑1C Gray Eagle

Shield AI is proposing its X‑Bat uncrewed aircraft system as a replacement for the U.S. Army’s MQ‑1C Gray Eagle, following the Army’s request for information issued last December for a new short‑/vertical‑takeoff and landing UAS to replace the fixed‑wing fleet.

The X‑Bat weighs about 22,000 lb, comparable to the Boeing AH‑64 Apache’s 23,000 lb and far heavier than the Gray Eagle’s 3,600 lb maximum take‑off weight, and Shield AI says its logistics footprint is similar to an Apache; the vertical take‑off and landing capability matches the Army’s typical combat aircraft operations, and the program has already attracted funding from the U.S. Navy while generating interest from the Army.