Shield AI announced on October 1 that it will build its X-BAT AI-piloted fighter in Des Moines, Washington, and test it in Newton, Kansas, The Defense Post reported.

The Washington site, called X-Forge 3, will produce the aircraft, and construction is already underway. The Kansas site, X-Forge 2, at Newton City-County Airport, will handle flight testing, production acceptance, maintenance, repair and overhaul, and customer acceptance flights. GeekWire reported that the Washington facility is expected to open in spring 2027.

X-BAT is a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with an objective combat radius of 1,000 nautical miles, powered by a GE Aerospace F110 engine. Its internal weapons bays are comparable to the F-35’s and take 2,000-pound-class weapons, and it can carry electronic warfare and surveillance payloads. It flies on Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software, which is designed to operate without GPS or communications links.

Production is expected to begin in 2029, with full-rate production in the early 2030s. These are company plans rather than government commitments, and the aircraft is still in development. The siting decision shows how seriously autonomous combat aircraft are now being treated as a manufacturing problem, not only a software one.

Sources: The Defense Post; GeekWire.