China has marked US air bases – the Americans are developing a response

The US Navy has expanded its investment in the autonomous X-BAT fighter jet by an additional $150 million, bringing total commitments to the project to $400 million. The aircraft is being developed by Shield AI to take off and land vertically without needing a runway, and is powered by artificial intelligence that also functions under GPS jamming conditions. The move is intended to bypass the Chinese threat to Air Force bases, ahead of the start of flight tests this year.

The US Navy announced an additional $150 million in funding for the development of the autonomous X-BAT fighter jet, designed to operate without a human pilot and to take off and land vertically without a traditional runway. Defense technology company Shield AI updated that the Navy expanded the existing agreement, with the company investing a matching amount from its own capital. This brings the total joint financial commitments of the government and the company to $400 million, ahead of the first flight tests planned for later in 2026. The aircraft is being developed to enable the US military to conduct aerial missions even in scenarios where normal runways are unavailable or destroyed under threat. Unlike conventional fighter jets, the X-BAT is designed for vertical takeoff and landing, allowing it to operate directly from ships, islands, and remote locations. Flight management is handled by an advanced artificial intelligence system called Hivemind, developed by Shield AI, which is designed to allow the aircraft to complete missions even in environments saturated with GPS jamming or communication blackout conditions. The need for the aircraft's development arose from concerns within the US defense establishment about damage to Air Force bases and runways in the event of a direct confrontation with China. In an interview given in October 2025 to Fox News, Armour Harris, Senior Vice President of Aircraft Engineering at Shield AI, explained that the aircraft was designed to directly address Chinese capabilities: "China has built an anti-access and area denial system that puts our runways at risk." About 500 engineers are currently involved in the project. The first flight tests are expected to begin later this year.