The Indian Army has selected Shield AI’s V-BAT unmanned aerial systems (UAS) as part of a strategic move to bring AI-driven autonomous aircraft into frontline operations. Under the agreement, India’s military will receive the V-BAT drones along with licences for Shield AI’s “Hivemind” autonomy software, which enables the platforms to sense, decide and act with limited human input — a capability crucial for contested or GPS-denied environments where communications can be jammed or unreliable.
The V-BAT is a Group 3 VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) drone with long endurance and robust operational flexibility. Its design lets it launch and recover from small areas — such as forward posts, ship decks and austere terrain — without the need for elaborate runway infrastructure. Powered by a heavy-fuel engine and featuring an enclosed-rotor configuration, it’s positioned primarily as a tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) asset that can provide continuous monitoring across diverse environments.
A major element of the deal is India’s emphasis on local manufacturing and technological sovereignty. The partnership with Shield AI extends to the licensing of the Hivemind autonomy software development kit (SDK) and plans to produce V-BAT drones domestically through collaboration with Indian industry partners. This aligns with India’s broader push for indigenous defence production and self-reliance, and will include investment in a next-generation unmanned aerial systems facility that will manufacture, test and assemble V-BATs in India.
Beyond its national use, Shield AI’s V-BAT platforms have already been operational in multiple international settings and demonstrated resilience in contested environments with strong electronic warfare threats — reinforcing Indian confidence in the technology’s real-world performance. The inclusion of Hivemind’s AI autonomy is seen as a shift toward more autonomous operations in future battlefields, where machines can maintain mission effectiveness even under degraded communications or denied positioning systems.
