Shield AI recently announced the official launch of its V-BAT Teams product that enables multiple V-BATs to autonomously execute missions in electronically contested environments while reading and reacting to adversaries, the environment, and the other V-BATs executing the mission. It comes in the form of a modular Nvidia GPU upgrade running Hivemind, Shield AI’s AI pilot, which is loaded into the modular payload bay of the V-BAT.
V-BAT Teams enables warfighters to have 24/7 comprehensive coverage over large geographic regions to find, fix, and target thousands of enemy assets in operational, electronically contested areas at an affordable price.
Features and Capabilities
AI and Autonomy Breakthroughs: Powered by Shield AI’s Hivemind AI pilot, V-BAT Teams operate autonomously in high-threat environments without the dependence on GPS or communications.
Scalability: Starting with smaller formations in 2023, V-BAT Teams can scale to support hundreds and even thousands of aircraft in future deployments.
Streamlined System Updates: V-BAT Teams receives quarterly software updates and biennial autonomy compute payload releases.
Efficient Deployment & Management
Quick Installation: The V-BAT Teams payload facilitates rapid AI pilot installations on V-BATs.
Enhanced Control Systems: The GCS ruggedized mobile control station, tailored for managing large teams of aircraft, streamlines operations and ensures that commanders have timely and pertinent mission data.
“V-BAT Teams is the first step in intelligent, affordable mass not as a concept, but as an operational product. We’re starting with a team size of four V-BATs, but that number will double annually for the foreseeable future. Four V-BATs that work together in electronic warfare environments and as part of a human-machine team are an incredible force multiplier,. Ultimately, V-BAT Teams – as the team size increases – give squads the combat power of a battalion, or battalions the combat power of a corps or division.” — Brandon Tseng, Co-Founder and President, former Navy SEAL, Shield AI
“Intelligent, swarming aircraft are the key to air dominance and more importantly, to deterrence. Our nation is faced with the difficult reality that our pilots are too few and the rules-based autonomy solutions are too dumb for such swarms to exist. Shield AI changes this. For almost nine years, Shield AI has focused on building the world’s best AI pilot from a common AI backbone that is relevant and deployable to any aircraft – from quadcopters to F-16s. The technology is ready when we need it most. I’m pleased to announce that intelligent teams of V-BATs, powered by Hivemind, can be purchased today and will be on the battlefield in 2024.” — Ryan Tseng, CEO and Co-Founder, Shield AI